


Already Home

by thegirlinthefandoms



Category: Aaron Tveit - Fandom, Actor RPF, Broadway RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 09:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 56,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5043046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegirlinthefandoms/pseuds/thegirlinthefandoms
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of friendship and going in completely separate ways to differents parts of the state, and after all that happened and changes in their lives, Amy and Aaron meet again after a lot of time.<br/>But, unlike what they think, nothing it’s going to be like it was years ago when they were just two young kids without worries in their old hometown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_That discussion in the car already made no sense. It made no sense, but for weeks it was repeated every time she and Aaron were in his car, no matter where they were or wherever the headed to._

_Since Amy told Aaron that she had been accepted at Columbia Business School everything talk finished on that topic and she was tired of fighting over and over again with her best friend._

_He was going to Ithaca, she was going to Manhattan._

_231 miles and 4 hours by car away._

_It could always be worst._

_Much worse._

_Amy didn't care about being away from her family because she knew that she could always go home and they would always be her family, but no one assured her that time wouldn't do damage between her and Aaron._

_And if everything was like in the last weeks, everything meant that nothing would end on good terms for anyone. "I do not understand why do you have that need to go to Manhattan!" Aaron said tightening the wheel of his parked car and looking at the street through the windshield. "And why do you have that need to go to Ithaca?" she said looking at him and controlling herself to not raise her voice because she didn't wanted to yell at him. "They have a pretty great music program. Also I wouldn't get to be accepted in Columbia" he said still not looking at her._

_Whenever they argued Aaron did the same: he didn't looked at her because he knew that if he did it, he'll lose the argument because Amy's damn green eyes always shone, though she didn't know. And he never said it to her because every time he did it, she automatically blushed and looked away. "And I wouldn't get to be accepted in Ithaca, Aaron. It's the same story for both of us." Amy said already frustrated by the fact that the Ithaca Business School never answered her application. She sent it just because Aaron asked her a thousand times and if she got accepted she would probably have gone with him. Neither of them understood how she managed to get into Columbia and not in Ithaca, knowing that she had all chances to be accepted, but the letter simply never came._

_At that time they knew their ways were going to go separate._

_"I still don't understand how something like this happened. They always answer, even to say no. We have almost the same notes, take the same subjects and the same extracurricular activities and classes, it's illogical!" Aaron said hitting the steering wheel. "Aaron, it's okay." she said resting her head on his shoulder and placing her left hand on his leg. "No, it's not okay. We were supposed keep going together. That was the plan. I don't want my best friend to be four hours away." he said releasing the steering wheel and taking_

_Amy's hand in his and placing his head on hers trying to calm him. "I know this sucks. But we have to stop fighting. I don't want to fight with you anymore. It's illogical. Though when both of us graduate we'll probably be in Manhattan again, right? How long can it be? Four years? Five?" she said trying not to sound so tragic, but every time she repeated it only sounded worse. "Don't you ever say that again." he said kissing her on the forehead._

_"Hey, let's make a promise." Aaron said again, pulling away from her to look into her eyes. "What promise? What are you talking about, Aaron?" she said without understanding where he was going with that. But damn, for those baby blue eyes she could go to the end of the world if he asked her that. "I don't know if in four, but in five years we will meet on the Brooklyn Bridge. In the middle." he said, giving to her the smile that she loved from the day they met. "At 4?" she said, holding out her little finger and smiling to Aaron. "In five years, on the bridge, at 4." he said, his eyes never leaving hers, locking his pinky with hers and capturing her soft, pink and warm lips slowly and gentle with his own to close the deal._


	2. *-

_"To: Aaron.:_

_This city is too big. I feel too small. Too many people, too many cars, too many lights, too many things to see. Sometimes I feel as if this were a giant maze and have no idea how I'll find out the exit. I guess it's a matter of time until I get used to it, if I manage to get used._

_I miss home, Middletown and your stupid face._

_I havn't started my classes so I went to the Brooklyn Bridge. I try to find the stupid lock that we put there a couple of months ago, when we came with our Theater teacher. You can imagine that could not find it._

_Hope things are going well in Ithaca. Or at least that you're better than me here._

_As I said, I miss you, I guess you know that. It's annoying not to have someone who takes me in his car to go anywhere._

_I hope to see you soon or at least to hearing about you and your new college and life._

_Love,_

_A. "_


	3. Chapter 3

_"Okay," he said. "I gotta go to sleep. It's almost one." "Okay," I said. "Okay," he said. I giggled and said, "Okay." And then the line was quiet but not dead. I almost felt like he was there in my room with me, but in a way it was better, like I was not in my room and he was not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space that could only be visited on the phone. "Okay," he said after forever. "Maybe okay will be our always." "Okay," I said. It was Augustus who finally hung up."_

 

That was the last Amy read before closing her book and put it in her hobo bag. It was almost 2 pm and at 2.30pm she had one of the last classes left that Saturday for her EMBA. Only three more months and it was over.

Amy loved her career because she was really good at what she did, but for the first time in a long time she was tired of studying and her work. From Monday to Friday she worked on an economic consulting firm and in the Saturdays she was in Columbia taking classes for her EMBA. The worst part is that her life had been like that for the last ten years when she went to College to study Economics and Finance.

Looking back Amy could not believe that her whole life was within the walls of the Columbia Business School and her workplaces. That was not the life she dreamed as a teenager in Middletown and if she could talk to her 17 years-old self, the advice she'd give herself would be "Don't go to Columbia if you don't want to, because I assure you that in 10 years you won't like to see who you became"

Despite that her life was not so bad. Amy had a good job, her own apartment, a degree from the School of Business of Columbia, a great family less than two hours away, a couple of good friends she had made over the years, but nevertheless she always felt something was missing in her life.

She knew what that something was and that she would never see him again because the world and even New York was too big to meet him again and because neither of the two knew where the other was for years.

Amy got up from the bench in Riverside Park and she began to walk the road back to college, but this time trying not to think about the past and focusing on what she had to read for the next class, but each time the small metal key hanging from her neck beating against her skin, it was like being hitting a small knife in her chest, not letting the damn wound finished to close after years. What's worse is that every time I tried to take off that necklace, the guilt or memories were too strong for her and she ended up putting it back in place.

That was the reason why none of her relationships lasted and, like Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars, she felt like she was a grenade and she had no intention to hurt anyone for not having the strength to let go her past. Deep down she hope that someday the right man came to make her forget everything but part of her was tired of waiting.

When she finally got to the campus and when she was going to the Uris Hall, she saw one of her good and old friend, Sarah, waving her arms making her a sign on something that even Amy couldn't understand. She guessed that Sarah was calling her but she did not have time or inclination to talking about nonsense so she walked to the building until she heard a shout saying "Amy wait!" and she decided to wait hoping that the talk was not much lengthened.

"Sar, what happened?" she said when the other girl came almost breathless after running almost half a block to her. "A guy... Was asking... for you..." Sarah said trying to recover normal rhythm of her breathing. Lot of study, little exercise, that was the problem in their lives. "A guy? What guy?" Amy asked trying to think of someone who she has to speak or something like that, but nothing was coming to mind. "I don't know. He didn't told me his name. He asked me if I knew of you and when I said yes he told me if I could give you this. And that when you saw you'll know who he was." Sarah said giving her a brown paper envelope to Amy. "He gave you this for me?" Amy said, taking the envelope and looking it before opening it. "Yep, just this."

Amy stared for a second on the little type catalog envelope in her hands, it had only written "Amy" on the front. She could not even recognize from whom was the handwriting so she opened it and when she looked inside there was only one photo. It was a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge, right in the middle of the bridge.

For a second she didn't understand what it meant but in a second the pieces fell into their place. "Sarah, how was the guy who gave you this?" she asked putting her free hand on the left shoulder of her friend. "I don't know. Tall, 6'0" probably. Brown hair, almost dark blond..." Sarah said trying to think of what she remembered. "He had blue eyes?" Amy asked again trying not to lose the little calm that she had left. "I dunno, he had sunglasses. A black Ray Ban Wayfarer."

Of course he had glasses, because anyone could recognize him by his eyes. "How long ago he was gone?" Amy asked, again looking at the picture she had in his right hand. "He went to the East Harlem side two minutes before you got here. Amy, you know who he is?" asked Sara, now worried about so many questions without any logic. "Fuck." she said almost to herself and looking to the buildings, were beyond them was Amsterdam Ave. "Yes, I think I know him. If he is who I think he is, I know him." she said looking back at Sarah. "And..." the girl said, moving her hands, telling Amy to continue. "And if he is who I think, then he is back." she said biting her lower lip and smiling to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

_She wished that day never came._

_She didn't wanted to see her life (or at least the material part) tucked into boxes and bags inside of her parent's car. But especially, she didn't wanted to see Aaron and her little brother, Ian, sitting on the Carter's house sidewalk trying to be strong in front of Amy. They were her boys and they had to be strong for her._

_Most of her friends and high school classmates had already left for their new destinations, but she and Aaron decided to put off their leaving as long as possible. They also decided she would be the first to go. Amy did not have the strength and courage to see Aaron leaving , so he would go two days after_

_After checking her room and the rest of the house thinking if she was forgetting something, she finally went where Ian and Aaron were and sat in between the two, putting her head on Aaron's left shoulder, lacing the fingers of her right hand to his left, and her free arm around her 7 years old little brother._

_None of them wanted to say anything, but Amy felt the responsibility to break the silence. "Okay, guys, you know that you both are what I love most in the world, okay? That's never going to change, no matter where I'm or what I'm doing, I'll always be thinking about you two" she said, fighting the lump on her throat.  
None of the boys said anything; Aaron only squeezed her hand tighter and kissed her forehead like he always did. Ian looked to the other side where her sister was and began sobbing. "Hey, hey, don't cry my little boy. There's no reason to cry" the girl said, releasing Aaron and hugging her brother._

_All the efforts she made not to cry were over by the time Ian begun to mourn. Amy wasn't strong enough to see him crying and not breaking her heart. "You are my baby bro, you are my sunshine and you'll always be. You can call me every night if you want to and every free weekend I'll have I'll come here to see you, okay?" she whispered, kissing him on the head while Ian cried louder. In every word she said, Ian hugged her sister by her waist as if his life and his world depended on it._

_"I want to go with you now. I don't care that Mom and Dad don't want to, I'll go with you" Ian said, looking at his sister and hugging her again. "Ian, don't come with us. It will be worse. You'll suffer more" Amy said, rubbing his back and trying to convince him not to go to Manhattan with her and her parents. It was only a two hours round trip and two hours back, but she didn't wanted to make him go through another farewell. "I don't care. I'm going with you. And I'll start saving money so when I finish school I'll go to live with you in Manhattan, no matter what happens" the boy exclaimed totally serious. Amy could not help smiling._

_Ian just was 6, almost 7 but sometimes she was surprised on how smart and intelligent he could be. "Okay, go and grab your bag and tell mom and dad that you're coming with us because I want you with me, yes?" she told Ian, letting go of the grip of his brother and giving him one last kiss on the forehead. "And give me a minute to talk to Aaron?" she whispered in his ear so only he could hear, even though Aaron was beside them. "Yeah, sure" said Ian, running toward their home._

_When Aaron and Amy were finally alone, she turned to face him and he was looking at his shoes, the street or whatever. He was not looking at her, so Amy laid her head on his shoulder again to get the boy's attention. "Hey" she murmured, as she wiped the tears from her face. Aaron did not answer her; he only grabbed her hand to tighten it again. Their farewell was not supposed to be like this. Indeed, according to their plans the past few years, they were not supposed to say goodbye at all, but everything had gone wrong.  
He was her best friend and she loved him, but that day she could not stand the silence between them. "Can we ... Can we go to talk to another place? Someplace where no one can see us or hear us? Your backyard or your bedroom, I don't know" Aaron said after several minutes, but still without looking at Amy. "Yes. Let's go to the backyard" Amy answered, standing up and heading down the side of his house to the bottom of it._

_She had the best memories of that place, every day or summer nights when Aaron and she (and sometimes Ian and Aaron's brother, Jon) had been lying on the grass in the yard watching the stars until dawn._

_Amy came to the place followed by Aaron behind her. After making sure that the place was empty, the girl turned to talk to him, but before she could react his arms were around her waist and shoulders. Aaron was hugging her almost with the same necessity with which Ian had held her before. But unlike Ian, Amy didn't know when she would see Aaron again, so Amy only put her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest._

_Even when both knew they didn't had too much time left together, they wanted that hug to last forever, but after a few minutes Aaron let go. "So here ... This is how it ends? This is our goodbye? "Said taking her hand again and looking into her eyes. "You know, it doesn't have to be a goodbye after all," Amy said again trying not to mourn despite feeling tears in her eyes. "Yes, it's true" Aaron breathed, looking away, probably to the end of the Carter's yard._

_At that time Amy couldn't control it anymore and let out his hand to cross her arms over her chest and started mourning, more than she cried the past nights alone in her room. She was trying to deal with leaving her life back and Aaron being indifferent and distant wasn't helping. Amy didn't understand why Aaron had to act that way at that moment, in the last few minutes they had left._

_"Amy, are you okay?" the boy asked, trying to approach his friend, but Amy stepped back. "No, I'm not. I don't wanna go. I-I don't wanna change my entire life and I can't do anything and I'm scared like I've never being! And you acting like this is not helping me to feel better" she cried, taking a few steps away from Aaron and wiping the tears with the back of her hand. "It-It was not supposed to be like this! We are just two steps away and I already feel like you are miles away!" she added. Amy had her hands covering her face and she knew she was probably red after yelling at Aaron._

_When Amy felt she was about to end up crumble, she felt his arms around her again, but this time harder than the last. "I know, I know, sweetie. And I'm sorry, Amy" he whispered trying to calm her. "It wasn't supposed that I would be acting like this, but I can't see you leave. Everything we know will change in less than a week and I can do anything to stop it" he said, with his right hand rubbing Amy's back trying to calm her down. "Tell me that this is a bad dream. Tell me that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and you're going to be in your car waiting for me to go to class. Or that I'm gonna wake up and that we're are going to be together in Ithaca or in another place. Please Aaron, tell me that we can be together" she said sobbing in his chest, and even when she tried to control herself and stop crying she just couldn't. "I would love this to be a lie. I would love to pick you tomorrow to take you to class or whatever, but I can't lie and say it will happen. I'd love to but I can't" he said, his arms tightening trying to pull Amy closer to him._

_Despite having her ear against Aaron's chest and practically hearing only his heart beating fast, she hears the back door of her house opened. Amy perfectly understood that time was up. "Amy, we have to go" her mother said from the door heading the kitchen. "Give me a second mom" she said stepping away from Aaron just enough to talk to her mother. "Amy..." Mrs Carter said again less patiently than before. Since the things between Aaron and the older of the Carter siblings started to be more boyfriend than just friend, her parents began to be act differently. Either Amy or Aaron gave it to much attention._

_She took a deep breath and before her mother talked she gave the woman a dead look. Amy was tired of her acting as she was the one who's everything was taken away. "I said give me a second, okay?!" she yelled to her mother trying to make her see she was screwing the moment with her stupid authority._

_"I'm sorry about that" she apologize, looking at Aaron and then at the door, making sure her mom had close the door and was gone. "It's ok" he whispered, looking at her eyes._

_"I'm gonna miss you" Aaron said again, now with hands on Amy's cheeks wiping the tears that kept coming falling. "I gonna miss you too" Amy whispered, biting her lip and touching his face for the last time. "You should go" Aaron said pointing the house with his head ,still looking at her. "Yeah, I know" she answered. "Come on, let's go" he said placing his arm around her shoulders letting Amy rested her head on his chest and her tiny arms around his waist Aaron._

_They never let Amy's parents to see them hugging or "showing affection" to each other, but this time they couldn't care less, so when the arrived to the sidewalk he put his arms around Amy again. "Call me or write me when you arrive, okay? I'll be waiting" Aaron told her, kissing her forehead. "Let me know when you arrive to Ithaca" she asked too, kissing his cheek, stepping back and looking at him for the last time while getting into the car where her parents and brother waited._

_Inside the car Ian took her hand and get closer to whispered into her ear "It's ok, he loves you, he not gonna forget you easily" and Amy just smiled at him, but when the car was around the second corner Amy realized she forgot to do the only thing she needed if she wouldn't see Aaron again. "Dad, stop the car" she suddenly said, making Ian looked amused. "What?" John said looking at his daughter on the mirror. "I said stop the car, dad!" Amy screamed again removing the seatbelt. "Dad stop the car!" Ian shout to help his sister no matter the punishment he may get after for behaving like that to his parents._

_When John finally stopped two blocks away from the house, she came down and started running, hoping Aaron was still there. When she saw him, he was walking the way into his house so she didn't have a choice but to be fast enough to catch him. "Aaron!" Amy scream as hard as she could and started running. When Aaron heard her, the guy turned around and ran to finally meet her half the road. "Amy, what happened ?" he asked trying to understand why she left the car. "This" she said closing the space between them, standing on her toes to kiss him just once, but full on the lips._

_He tasted sweet like always, but Amy also knew that that time his lips tasted like a sad goodbye. She doesn't care. The girl kissed him like the first time they did in his car. Maybe a little bit more rough, but it was amazing anyway."I couldn't leave without doing that" Amy said when she stepped away, red face for running and kissed him. "Thank God you left the car to do that" Aaron breathed with a smile on his face._

_But this time he was the one who kiss her, pulling her closer, with his hand on her neck and the other one on her hip, and Amy's hands on the back of his neck._

_Their eyes were closed and their lips moving together in perfect synchrony, making them forget that the world existed. It had been only a few seconds but it was all they needed as a farewell._

_When they pulled apart, they left their hands as they were and just put their foreheads together to look at each other as closely as they could. "I love you and I see you in five years" Aaron said kissing her again, trying to memorize the feeling of their lips together. "See you in five years and I love you too" Amy said giving him a last goodbye kiss and running back to the car._


	5. Chapter 5

West Harlem Piers was Amy's favorite place to go when she had free time between classes, since it was only 15 minutes away from the university. Sit facing the river reading was one of the few quiet moments she had in the week after the chaos of the office.

Since she had come to Manhattan, for some reason, the Hudson River have the power of make her calm. She did not know if it was the sound of water or how far the city seemed even for just a while, but since she had discovered that place, she used to be there by the water.

Like Pocahontas in her movie, she loves the river and the ocean although she did not have much time to spend outdoors. That was one of the things she missed about not having concerns, a job and a career: the free time to sit outdoors feeling the wind hitting her face and the sound of water in her ears.

With her nose stuck in her book, Amy had lost track of time, but she knew she had time to finish the fifteenth chapter. The problem of when Amy was busy reading was not only lost track of time, but the notion of all that was happening around her. People could go or stop near her and she was not going to pay attention to be stuck in one of her imaginary worlds that mysteriously did not contain numbers or words related to economics or finance. Ian had always told her that she looked like Belle, but definitely it could be a mixture of all the princesses that could exist in Disney.

Every time she heard footsteps walking near her, she occasionally only looked up the words of the book under her black Ray Ban and looked who it was, but that time she just saw a guy with dark blue jeans and sneakers approaching and standing next to the seat she was occupying. "Hey, sorry, you mind if I sit here?" the boy said, and Amy could not see his face for the sun reflecting and the black sunglasses that he was wearing. "Sure, no problem" she said with a little smile and almost shy. It was rare that someone wanted to sat there considering how many seats were free throughout the park, but that was not her bench so she had to be politically correct.

Amy continued to read about the history of Hazel and Gus, and the boy sat on the opposite end of the bench, also looking to the Hudson River. Amy did not even paid attention to what he was doing. After a few minutes she saw on the sly if he kept looking towards the river and she started to look at him, at least what she could get to see. He was wearing a white plaid shirt, jeans, those damn sunglasses, and a blue Yankees cap that she had seen before when he asked her if he could take sit there. Probably he was just a normal t-shirt and jeans guy sit in front of the river like the other people in the park.

The girl was finishing the chapter 16, when inadvertently (and like Amy did whenever she was entertaining with something) she started singing to herself one of the verses of "So Long, Astoria" by The Ataris, her brother's favorite song. Ian always said that he wanna live in Astoria just because he loved the song. When finally came to her mind the verse that says "So long, Astoria / I found a map to buried treasure / And even if we come home empty-handed / We'll still have our stories and battle scars / Pirate ships and wounded hearts / Broken bones and all the best of friendships / And when this hourglass has filtered out its final grain of sand / I'll raise my glass to the memories we own" she realize that she was singing out loud because she hear someone smirking really softly in the other side sit. Why the hell he was paying attention to what she was singing?

She kept with her eyes and her head lost in the book and Amy felt that she had eyes practically on her, but she did not dare turn around to see if it was he. "You know, there are like more than 8 million people in New York and more than 1 million of those people are in Manhattan but who could have imagined it would be so hard to find a single person here" he spoke suddenly.

In that moment she clearly doesn't understand anything of what had happened, so she left her book aside and took off her glasses to look at him. "Dude, what the hell do you want? I'm trying to read here!" she ranted. "You have to take your nose off of the books a little bit" he joked making her get angrier.

He was a complete stranger and he really was saying her that? "Okay, this is insane." She added trying to put her book in her bag to go back to the campus. "You will always get angry so fast with a joke? What happened to your sense of humor?" he asked taking off his sunglasses with a smile in his face.

In that moment she saw him and her bag fell from her hand to the bench, and if she had not been sitting she had fallen too. When Amy saw his face, she understood why he was laughing when she was singing, and the brunette felt her heart stopping for a second. "Aaron..." was all that she could mutter, putting her right hand on her mouth. "Hey Amy" he said with a smirk of satisfaction on his face. "What-what are you doing here?" she asked, trying to control herself of every emotion that was taking her trembling body. "You know, it take me almost two years but I finally found you" Aaron said casually as he was moving next to her. He was acting like if search for someone two years was something that the people do every day like a hobby. "I can't believe it's you. I thought that would never see you again" she said still trembling.

She really thought that she would never see him again because it's been ten years since the last time. The people normally don't try to find someone after ten years. They just give up or simple forget and maybe live with the memories of the good times like she did.

Seeing him right next to her was like a dream and she even wanted to touch him to see if it was real. "You know why they say, never say never" he said but he start to talk again before she can say something. "Hey, I have an hour free, you want some lunch to catch up? My treat!" he said touching her hand trying to convince her and then she know that it wasn't a dream. He was real. "Yeah, why not? I think that I know a good place near. I mean, it's been years, I have an hour to waste with you after all" she said with a smile in her face. "Okay, let's go then" Aaron smiled as they leave the park.


	6. Chapter 6

"My favorite little bro!" Amy exclaimed as she answered the call from her brother on the phone. It was Saturday night and certainly Ian was boring because their parents wouldn't let him out for some stupid reason, so he always spent Saturday night on the phone with his sister, beyond the fact that they texted each other almost every day. "Amy, I'm your only brother" he said on the other side of the phone. "I know, that's why you're my favorite. Anyway, what are you doing, boy?" she asked as she looked at her closet, looking for something comfortable to wear. "Guess." Ian said, sounding totally discouraged. "Mom and Dad wouldn't let you go out with your friends for some stupid reason like they always do" she replied, trying to understand what was going through their parents head to not let their 16 year old son go out with friends 16 years in a place like Middletown.

She knew they were different times, but they had never done such a big scandal when she wanted go out. "I will not take drugs or alcohol, I mean, I do not want to die so young in Dad's hands, I'm not stupid!" He exclaimed, totally exasperated and angry at the same time. "I know, dude. Hey, boy, listen, are you going to have dinner soon?" Amy asked sitting on her king size bed. "No, mom and dad are out in a dinner or something, I have a pizza party with myself, why?" the young boy inquired on the other side of the line. "Better, give me five minutes, I change my clothes, get something to eat and we'll talk by Skype, okay?" she added with a smile in her face. At such times Amy was totally grateful to have a brother like Ian, though being ten years younger , understood her better than any of her friends. "Cool, I'm going for my pizza and my computer. Love you!" the boy said ending the call.

Amy was totally proud of the brother she had. Although he had just 16, he was like a little responsible man, attentive, friendly and caring. Even he was more responsible than a lot people who Amy knew of her same age. Despite their 11 years difference, whenever Ian needed to talk to someone or an advice about something, he always called first Amy to ask what she would do instead. Ian always said he'd rather talk to her because their parents were too conservative and closed and his friends very immature, so here preferred talking to his older sister, even about girls. After changing her street clothes for her pajamas and slippers, warm pizza in the microwave, taken several cans of Coke out of the refrigerator, tie her hair in a disastrous bun tail, turn on her computer and make sure the door was locked, Amy sat on the bed with the TV on in front of her, although she was not paying attention.

When she finally was connected to Skype, his brother was already connected waiting. "Yo, boy!" she said hello to Ian by the camera. "You look amazing A!" Ian said, laughing at the disastrous appearance of her older sister. "Thanks I! When you get married someday you'll probably be worse than this, so get used!" Amy joked, as she watched her brother eat his pizza in the room. "That if mom and dad someday let me leave home to meet a girl!" Ian grumbled, trying to talk with his mouth full of food. "Mom and Dad went and left you alone? And they didn't let you go out with your friends? I do not know what kind of parents we have" Amy said, taking a sip of her first can of Coke.

It was totally frustrating even for her what they were doing to Ian. She knew they weren't bad, but it was not fair to the poor boy. "You know what's the worst part? Rachel was going to be at the party!" Ian grunted in front of his computer. "Rachel? The girl you like? Dude that sucks. I wish I could do something to help you, buddy" Amy murmured trying to comfort his brother to make him feel better. "I know if you could be here you would, because you're the best sister ever. Hey, do you think that I could go and spend a weekend with you this month? Mom and Dad would let me if you say yes" Ian asked with all the excitement in those shiny green eyes. Surely the poor guy wanted to get away from the quietness of Middletown and the only option was visiting his sister. She couldn't blame him at all. Ian also knew that whenever he went to see Amy, the only thing his sister did was spoilt him. "Sure! I'd love to! You know you don't have to ask permission to come, this is your home!" she exclaimed, taking a bite of her pizza. "Thanks Amy!" the teenage replied with a big happy smile on his face. "You are welcome, hun" Amy said and she turned to take her Coke, but instead she saw her phone turning on.

"Okay, there you have my number. I can believe that I finally see you again! Josie found out that we met again and she wants to meet you. Are you free for dinner on Monday next week?"

"Oh fuck" she hissed to herself to loud and even Ian heard her. "Am, you okay?" Ian asked, watching his sister through the screen. "No. I mean, yes. Damn, I don't know! Can I tell you something but promise me that you won't tell anything, especially to Mom and Dad?" Amy answered, almost begging, before telling his brother what had happened that afternoon. She couldn't keep it to herself and couldn't tell anyone else and she knew her brother was the best option to keep secrets. Anyway she always made him promise not to say anything, just to be sure. "Tell me your problem, sister." Ian said, crossing his arms over his chest as if he were someone big and important. It was the stupidest thing he could do, but anyway he was making his sister laugh.

She put her hand on her chin to support her head and started to watch, without actually watching, the TV for a second, before starting to tell everything to her sibling. "Ok" Amy said taking a deep breath and returning to the reality again. "Remember Aaron?" she asked Ian, before having to explain of who she was talking about. "Aaron... Aaron..." Ian said to himself, narrowing his eyes and thinking from whom spoke his sister. "Aaron? Tveit? Your friend from high school? The Aaron who played baseball with me and his brother when I was a kid??" the teenage continued. "The same Aaron" Amy murmured, looking at her bro.

It looked like it was only a month ago when Ian, Aaron and Jon played baseball together while Amy was sitting on the floor reading a book, until the three convinced her to play with them. "I saw him today. I mean, I saw him for the first time after the day I left Middletown" Amy continued, rubbing her forehead and thinking about that horrible and complicated day. "How much time passed?!" asked Ian also surprised. "Almost ten years" she breathed, leaning back in her bed, like her younger brother. "So long? Damn, I was a baby!" Ian almost shouted. "You're still a baby, Ian" the eldest sibling said trying to annoy the young guy. "I'll pretend I did not hear that hurtful comment. The point is, how did you find him after 10 years?" Ian asked. "Actually he found me. I was in the park that I always go and a guy sits in the same bench and he starts to talk and I get pissed and when I looked it was him. He said he was looking for me for the last two years" Amy said, trying to summarize the story in a few words, omitting the history of the Brooklyn Bridge photo. "Are you kidding! He looked for you after all this time? Tell me that at least you kissed him when he told you that! " Ian exclaimed, approaching the screen.

The boy looked excited as if he was watching a movie or a new episode of one of his favorite TV shows. "What? No! In fact, he has a girlfriend. I think she's clothing designer or something like that. They being dating for six months or so" Amy said, trying not to sound disappointed. "Wait, let me see if I understand. He looked for you for two years after ten years of not seen each other and he has a girlfriend? I don't get it. We must get rid of her! We can make up something!" Ian exclaimed taking his head in his hands! "No, Ian. We are not young criminals. Actually, it's fine. He is a Broadway star now, I have my job, we are totally different now" Amy explain, trying to minimize the situation and the fact that her best friend from high school was now more like a Broadway and TV star. "What are you saying? He's on Broadway? That's sweet!" Ian exclaimed, letting out his small inner fanboy for a second.

Amy could picture him telling everyone that his sister's friend who used to play baseball with him was now a famous actor. "It's fine, sweetie, that's not the point now" Amy said trying to calm Ian's excitement when she remembered Aaron's message. "And which one is?" Asked Ian drinking a Pepsi. "He just sent a text message telling me that his girlfriend wants to meet me" she said showing Ian her phone so he understood the point "I don't even see the problem here, Amelia" the younger with his hands on the back of his head leaning on the bed. "Do you understand the problem? Ian, Aaron just found me after 10 years and now wants me to dinner with him and his girlfriend! Are we having the same conversation, little brother?" she said excitedly and not in the good way.

Ian was 16 , but he had to understand which was the problem in this strange, uncomfortable and unnecessary triangle. "Perfect! Dinner for four!" Ian exclaimed with a huge smile leaving his sister not understanding what was he saying. "Four?" Amy asked confused. "Aaron, the objective to suppress, my beautiful sister and the best brother in the state of New York and even in the country. There's no way I missed this. I wanna see this girl's face when you walk through the door and she has to hide under the table not to be ashamed by your majestic beauty. I can imagine the waiters saying 'Here comes the Carters, the new gods of Olympus un New York!'. I hope you're credit card is available because I'll need you clothes" Ian said exited moving his hands as pointing an invisible sign turning a fan in front of him.

In that moment she understood what her brother meant by overreacting and she didn't have other choice but laugh with him. "Ian, you are a genius. I'll buy whatever you want. Talk to mom and dad. Next friday you're coming to Manhattan" said Amy with a satisfaction smile on her face while looking at her younger brother on the screen rising his arms as a victory sign while Amy thanked heaven for the brother she had.


	7. Chapter 7

After all Amy didn't knew if her brothers offer of going with her to the dinner was such a good idea . Actually it was a really expensive idea. Ian arrived on Thursday night and on Friday after work the siblings went shopping and there was the problem. Ian and that "little brother power" convinced Amy not only to buy him new clothes (and buying some for her), but to buy him the damn Xbox that their parents never bought him for a lot of stupid reasons. At the beginning she wasn't going to buy it, but then she remembered that she leaving a sixteen years old kid alone, in an apartment in NY for four hours. After all Ian deserve it.

Saturday afternoon was a total chaos of trying outfits again and again, looking for something not too formal or fancy or normal, but according Ian "she had to made the intruder to feel like a mortal next to Aphrodite". After an hour she finally choose a skinny dark blue jeans, a white silky tank, a black blazer and 4 inch black boots. Ian said that she had to look like a goodness so he made her put her brown long hair in a high ponytail and put some mascara, eyeliner and pink lipstick. When Ian saw her he said "I'm proud of having a sister like you", and then she knew she was perfect.

And when Ian finished changing his clothes he looked handsome as hell. He was wearing a grey cowl neck jumper, black jeans and a grey oxford shoes. "Damn, we look great!" Ian exclaimed, looking at his sister and himself on the mirror in Amy's room a. "We actually do, dude. I'll have to buy a shotgun to keep the girls who want to get closer to you away" Amy joked, hitting his brother's shoulder, though Ian was sixteen he was taller than Amy.

There were times when Amy asked herself when did he grow up and became her best friend and only confident. The only thing she regretted was not being able to spend more time with him and they ended up talking on the phone as much as they could. Watching Ian on the mirror fixing his hair made Amy realized that Ian was kind of a little man and not her little brother anymore, the one she left on Middletown when went away. "Ready?" Ian asked, taking Amy out of her thoughts. "Ready" she murmured.

Amy's apartment was in Midtown, in the West part, almost on Upper West Side, so they weren't so far from their destination on SoHo. "So..." Ian murmured, once the Carter siblings were in a taxi on their way. "So..." said Amy taking the attention from the window to her brother de mirar a la ventana para mirar a su hermano. "So, are we going to talk about the fact that she wants to meet you to know if you are a future problem in her life?" the boy asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I, don't start this. This is not a battle to see who is better" Amy protested looking back at the Big Apple streets, trying to avoid that comment before it bothered her. "Mellie, she found out a week ago that Aaron found you and she asked to meet you that same day? Really?" Ian exclaimed.

At some point Ian was right, the fact the girl wanted to meet her was weird, but she couldn't say no to Aaron, not after ten years. "What's the problem? Aaron and I were friends years ago, maybe she wants to know about his past or something like that. Why do you always have to find the psychological side of things!? Stop watching Lie to me, for God's sake!" Amy hissed, hitting her brother's head so he shut up at once. "Hey, don't hit me on my head! You'll ruin my hair! And Lie to me finish last year! Fox cancelled it" Ian explained, giving the hit back on her sister's arm while the driver looked at them on the mirror and laugh at the scene. "Thank God it was cancelled, or you'd become more paranoid. Hey, we are almost there. Please behave, alright?" Amy asked threaten him with a finger. Damn, on those moments it was scary how she acted like her parents. "Fine, fine" Ian whispered.

After paying and apologizing to the driver for the dumb scene they left the cab to go into the bar. From the outside they could see it wasn't a really big place but it was cute. Amy was almost sure Aaron picked it, at least his girlfriend liked places with tons of beer kinds. When they got inside there were some taken tables and people sat on the bar but even though the crowd she spotted her ex best friend quicker than she wanted.

"There they are" Amy murmured, walking as slow as she could while looking at her brother to talk. "Blonde? Really?" Ian asked when he saw the girl sitting next to Aaron. "He never liked blonde girls" Amy whispered, more to herself than to her brother . Really a blonde girl? She had nothing again against blondes but she remembered Aaron telling her that sometime on Middletown. "People change" her brother said with a smirk in his face. "Tell me about it" she answer forcing a smile when Aaron saw her. "Don't worry, you're prettier" Ian told her right before Aaron stood up to say hi to them.


	8. Chapter 8

After the dinner and eating hamburger to almost die and letting Ian finished hers, the Carter siblings were waiting Josie to return from the bathroom and Aaron to come back from talking to his manager. Until that moment the night had been kind of awkward. Aaron and Amy, even Ian, had dozens of stories from when they were kids to tell and the poor blonde girl just laugh or get the stories when they explain them. Even Amy felt bad about her at some point.

"This is soo weird" Amy told her brother taking a sip of beer making sure they wouldn't hear that. "Of course is weird! She doesn't like theater, I mean..." Ian murmured, still shocked about the fact that Josie said she didn't like theater or musicals. Amy made the huge mistake of asking if she liked them and when she heard the answer she regretted opening her mouth. "Stop with that! It's fine if she don't like it!" Amy hissed, even though Ian was partly right. It was strange that someone didn't like musicals when you live in New York and your boyfriend is an actor, but people makes life choices. "No, it's not fine, sister. And I'm telling you something, he doesn't love her. I know about this things" the teenage said moving is hand as black angry woman. "Dude, what are you talking about? You're 16 years old, what the hell can you know about love between grow up people?!" the girl asked, looking horrified at her brother.

It was alright that Ian didn't like Josie about the theatre thing, but this was too much. Even for Amy. "Am, I know about body language. He's nervous when you're around. He just looks at you and take his eyes off just when Blondie it's looking. He doesn't kiss her or touch her, not even the hand or something! And when she touches him he gets serious and tense in a sec. Poor guy. In this moment I don't wanna be on his shoes" the younger explained analyzing the situation in less than a minute and making his sister freaking out about the little monster next to her. "Oh please, shut up, Ian" she begged her brother, putting her hand on the forehead taking a deep breath to not kill him right there. "I'm serious! Just use a second to look at him. Just one! Look at him when he doesn't know and you'll see" Ian exclaimed at last, who in 5 minutes drove his sister crazy.

While trying to get over the nonsense comments of her brother Amy took her purse from the chair to looking for the phone too see the time. She knew that it hadn't past an hour and a half since they arrived but it was getting awkward. Before she could found the phone and her big black purse she could see Josie coming back though Aaron hadn't hung up the phone. _Perfect. Just perfect._

"Sorry about it, there was a queue on the bathroom" Josie apologized, sitting again and giving them a smile. "Oh, no problem, really" Amy answer smiling back and looking into her purse. Where the fuck was her phone when she needed it? And why the hell she had so many things in her bag if she didn't need them? "Is that a Yves Saint Laurent bag?" Jossie asked pointing the Amy's black leather bag, interrupting her thoughts and the search for the phone. Was she really looking at the bag? "Yes, actually yes. It's my favorite" she answer at Josie and looking at her bag, but Amy could feel the blonde wasn't taking the eyes off her.

 _Did he really said in front of his girlfriend ? Fuck it, if he's going to play, then we will play._ "People change. You were the guy who started making musicals because of the girls" Amy joked, looking at Aaron giving back the comment with a half-smile. Through her eyes she could see Josie starting to be annoyed by the comments. Just with a glance at her face you could tell she wasn't happy about the reunion of her boyfriend with his best childhood friend.

After that the four stayed quiet and it was the most uncomfortable thing in the world, probably because they knew that if Josie wasn't there they would be remembering stupid anecdotes. After all maybe Ian was right and the blonde girl made the whole dinner thing just to see if she was a threaten. 

Looking at it from the outside she knew they were both completely and totally different, even physically. Josie had a blonde wavy hair with brown eyes while as Amy had a caramel ombre highlights on her dark brown straight hair and her eyes was emerald green. Even Amy was dressed up almost all in black while Josie had had a white skirt and a light green shirt. It was like watching Serena and Blair from Gossip Girl when they hated each other on the first season on the show (the only one Amy saw). Or worst yet, it was like watching the cute and pure Glinda in front of Elphaba the green weird girl. _Did she really thought Amy was dangerous? How a person that takes her younger brother to a dinner to make her company could be a threat?._

At that moment all she wanted was to throw herself into her head covered with blankets and try to forget what happened at the dinner. "Hey, Amy, another beer?" Aaron asked trying to break the silence and thank God he did that. "Mmm, I shouldn't because I hadn't drink in a long time but ok" she smiled, because every time he looked at her with his blue eyes she always finished conceding his stupid petitions. "That's the Amy I know!" Aaron exclaimed happily, because he knew that deep down she was still the same girl who always did stupid things with him, even if it was is just for fun. "Can I try that when they bring it?" Ian asked talking again after being silenced for a while. "You'd never drink beer?" Josie asked staring as if she didn't believed him. She clearly didn't knew anyone who hadn't drink beer at 16. "Really you never?" Aaron asked not as surprised as the blonde girl. "Dude, you remember who my parents are?" Ian laughed only talking to Aaron. "Oh, yeah, Mr. and Mrs. Carter. I forget that for a second" Aaron joked leaning his back against the back of his chair.

The Carters were the kind of complicated parents who had a time limit for their kids at least it was a "special" occasion. But when it wasn't Aaron made sure of taking Amy back home 5 or even 10 minutes early before time, just so that she wouldn't have to hear her parents rant.

And there she was again, Glinda from fashion design looking at her boyfriend not getting what they talked about. "Oh, sorry" Amy apologized when she realized Josie wasn't getting the reference. "It's just that my parents are let's say...strict" Amy said, trying to explain the way her parents were. "Very..." Aaron murmured laughing and scratching the back of his head. "Shut up you! But, yeah, they are complicated in many ways. I think that the first time I ever drink alcohol was with you" she said looking at Aaron, remembering when she was 16 and tried alcohol for the first time feeling to get sick from how bad it tasted. "I remember that day! For some reason you came home and stayed for lunch and we asked my dad if we could try his beer!" Aaron smiled like a child and none of them understand how they could remember such a stupidity from 11 years ago. "And Stanley said 'Don't you ever dare to come home drunk because I'm going to kill you with my own hands!' Good times!" Amy pointed trying to imitate Aaron's father voice trying not to choke on the guilt, trying to laugh and talk at the same time. "Wait, you know his parents?" Josie asked looking at Amy and Aaron totally serious.

Amy and Ian looked at each other to see if any of them understood what was going on and then she looked again at the blonde girl. "Well, actually yes. We spend three years together in high school; I went thousands of times to his house. Even Ian knew Aaron's family. Why?" Amy asked not understanding why the anger and looking at Aaron for some explanation for his bow offended girlfriend, but he didn't say anything, just stutter in a low voice trying to make something.

Josie looked at Aaron, then at Amy y there the brunette find out the night wasn't gonna end right. "Excuse me" Josie murmured while getting up her chair, picked her coat and purse and started to walk to the exit, leaving the siblings not understanding any. "What the hell..." said Ian looking at his older sister while Aaron talked to himself saying 'Of fuck, not again' Not again? So it was not the first time she did that? "Give me a second guys" Aaron told them, standing up and walking the way out after his girlfriend while Amy and Ian shared glances and Amy wondered what happened to made Josie angry in that way and most important. _What was Aaron doing with a girl like that?_


	9. Chapter 9

Once in her house, with pajamas on and a can of Coke on her hand the world seemed like a better place or at least a quieter one. While from the couch she saw Ian sitting on the floor playing Call of Duty, Amy felt things coming back to normal after the disaster of that night.

After Josie dramatically leaving the bar and all the scandal, she just wanted the peaceful of her house. "I don't wanna see that chick never again" Ian murmured, with his eyes on the tv while killing people. "I don't wanna be rude, but me neither. I mean, she's not bad, but we don't have any in common with her" Amy explained, basically thinking out loud. They really didn't have anything to talk about after all. She tried hard, but couldn't find two or three topics to talk with Jossie. And Amy was not the kind of girl who couldn't get along with people. "Nothing, nothing" Ian said, pausing the game and sitting in the couch with Amy.

She was laying her head on the back of a white couch thinking that maybe it all had been a bad idea from the beginning. "You know, I didn't saw Aaron for ten years, you either, but at least I have stories in common with him. Even you have something, because you were part of a lot of that stories, but she...Dude I don't know..." she breathed starting to feel bad with herself. "Why you don't change you're YSL for her boyfriend? She was dying for your bag, I could see it in her eyes" Ian exclaimed blinking his eyes, pointing the kitchen isle where the damn bag that started everything was. "I can't believe it all started because a have a fucking Yves Saint Laurent! It's just a bag!" Amy yelled laughing at how stupid it sounded. "I'm sorry, but for the girl from the Fashion Institute of Technology is not just a bag! It's an almost two thousand dollars bag!" Ian yelled in a girl voice imitating Jossie just to make his sisters to laugh until her stomach ache. "It's not my fault that my job allowed me to pay such a bag! I spent years studying to had that job and the salary I get! She studies design and wants to have her own brand with her friends in a city where 50% of the people wants the same! I work 8 fucking hours a day on an office to have that damn bag!" Amy exclaimed with her hands on her head.

The all bag thing may sound as a big joke, but she couldn't stop thinking about Aaron and the moment he was through. The dude didn't deserve such a thing. "She's crazy, Am" Ian breathed, when he stop laughing about his sister ranting. "Hey, what did Aaron said when you talked?" the boy asked remembering that Amy got to talk to her friend after leaving the bar. "He apologized around 15 times and then he told me it wasn't the first time Jossie did that. And that clearly she lost it when she found out I knew Aaron's family, while he barely spoke to them about her. Just that they were dating, but they never met and he didn't wanted to know hers" she explained her brother. "There you go, he doesn't love her" Ian answer proudly of his corporal expression and body language reading powers. "I don't know, E. Relationships are weird. But deep inside it bothers me that it's not the first time she did that. At some point Aaron is still my best friend and I worry about him. Thinking that a 24 years old girl is doing that... In some ways I want to kill her" Amy whispered on a honestly attack. "Now what?" Ian asked looking at his sister who still looked worried staring at the nowhere. "Wish I know, buddy. Wish I know" she whispered back. "Okay, that was much for a night, going to bed" Amy said, touching her brother's shoulder and standing after finishing her drink. "Don't stay up late" she kissed Ian's head playing with his hair as when he was a little boy. "Yes, alright. Good night, sis" Ian answer with a smile. "Good night, kiddo" his sister said, leaving the room walking to the bedroom to finally sleep and to end that hideous day.


	10. Chapter 10

It had passed a week since the call -at least between the Carter kids- incident in the bar and in those days Amy didn't had a call or a text from Aaron.

Sunday after Ian went back to Middletown, she thought about calling Aaron to see if he worked out the things with Jossie, but every time Amy was about the press the call button she didn't. After all it wasn't her fault, at least that was what she repeated to her again and again.

As days went by, to Amy, the worst part of the intrigue had gone. Maybe Aaron regretted calling her. Maybe Jossie gave him ultimatum. 

That was probably the end of the 'relationship' they got back after all this years. Maybe the things should have stayed the way they were and they shouldn't have met again and come back to each other lives. She partly felt disappointed, but if things were like this for years, then they could stay like that.

Amy had almost lost all hope that Aaron would call or appeared, but on Monday in the middle of a meeting she saw in her phone screen a text from him, after that she couldn't focus again and the meeting past to second plan.

After work, with an almost empty coffee on the hand and without much explaining, Amy was at the door of her brother's favorite store, where more than once they bought suits or shirts for the boy. 

The message from Aaron didn't say much, just that he needed help to buy a suit so the girl told him to meet there at 5.30, right after Amy left work. Five minutes later she saw Aaron walking through the crowd with his headphones and glasses on.

For a moment, while she saw him getting near, Amy could swear that in that guy she could still see the 17 year old boy that was her best friend.

"What kind of person uses his day off to buy a suit, Tveit?" she asked taking off her sunglasses to look at him. "Apparently me, Carter" he said taking off his own and giving her a sarcastic smile and a wink.

For some reason since they were kids they didn't greet as normal people did. They saw and spend so much time together that they wouldn't say hi with a hug or a kiss. Amy and Aaron started talking or mocking each other as if they've been talking for hours. Besides it was such a weird relationship they wouldn't know how to say hi to each other "Oh, okay, just asking. Should we go in?" Amy said pointing the door. "After you" Aaron offered, opening the door of the store.

When Amy was walking through, she felt a hand tighten the right side of her body, under her ribs. It was her weak point, the only spot Aaron could attack when he wanted to tickle her. She forgot Aaron knew this about her and even forgot this was her weak spot. Amy knew he probably didn't do it to tickle her, but to show her he still remembered and as he always did just to annoy her. "Bastard!" she breathed turning and looking at him. 

Aaron was just there, standing with a cocky smile in his face. "What?" Aaron asked like if nothing happened. "I'm watching you, okay?" Amy said pointing at Aaron with his finger. "Whatever you say, sweetheart" he sneered smiling. "Idiot" she hissed crossing arms standing back.

"Hello, can I help you with something?" a tall guy, very well dressed and good looking asked Amy with a big charming smile. "Oh hey!" Amy said smiling at the guy. "Oh, you again!" the guy added after he recognized her for all the times she had went to to the shop before. "Yep, I'm loyal to this shop. Is that or betraying my brother" she explained shrugging. "Oh, that's fine. What can I do for you, guys?" the guy asked looking at her and then at Aaron. "This dude needs help" Amy simply said pointing to Aaron, who was standing by her right side. "Thanks, Amy" Aaron said as he poked his friend again, without the salesman noticing. "I need a suit for a wedding. A friend it's getting married" Aaron explained and Amy smiled to him on proposed to make her friend jealous, or just enough to annoy him. "Did you think of something in particular?" the brunette boy asked staring at both, but mostly to Amy smiling. "Not really, that's why I brought her" the actor said, placing his hands on Amy's shoulders and tighten under his palms. "I can bring you a couple of options and you check what do like. Meanwhile you can check if there's something that you like" the guys offered. "Perfect, thank you!" she said as we walked away.

"So you have a wedding" Amy said walking around to see if she found something for Aaron or something as a gift to her brother. "Yes, this Saturday. An old friend is getting married, so it's a good moment to find a new suit" he said as he started to look at some shirts that were hanging.

Even if it was to buy a suit, Amy was happy that Aaron called her and it was all good. And he didn't needed to say a word, Amy knew when the things were good by the way he acted since they arrived. "That's fine. But wait, why did you call me?" she asked crossing her arms looking at him, while Aaron was still back at her. When Aaron turned around to look at her, for some reason, Amy felt her face was totally red.

When they were in high school and even being friends, Amy blushed every time Aaron caught her staring at him. "I thought you understood about suits. You know, you work with guys with suits all days so..." he said behind her, while Amy tried pretended to look at the clothes hanging in front of her. "I thought you had a girlfriend that studied design and might understand about this better than me" Amy said trying not to sound as if she wasn't making fun of Jossie, but it was really hard to. "You have a really good taste in clothes. I mean, look at you" he tried to explain, but the comment just made Amy laugh. "Well, thank you, sir" she thanked him, finally looking at him in the eyes.

Just looking at him made her blushed and smiled more, but after a few seconds she looks away shaking her head. She could not be so stupid to behave that way.

After a few minutes not talking, the guy from the store brought them many options, but Amy ended up choosing a classic black, a navy blue, a solid charcoal with three pieces, a grey also with three pieces, a black one with small grey lines and some white and light blue shirts. She hadn't even considered the three pieces ones, but Aaron insisted so she gave up.

They followed the salesman to the dressing room and Amy sat in one of the couches outside of them, while Aaron got in with the clothes closing the door behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

A couple minutes after, Aaron opened the door showing her the first suit. "Okay, I don't like this one" Aaron said with the navy blue suit. It was a good one but not for him. "Me neither. You wear blue in the show, right? It's too much for a wedding too" she explained looking at him. "I'm glad we are in the same page" he added, winking at her with a little smile and she just giggled. He really needed to stop doing that.

Amy started thinking she was probably insane, but the way he looked at her made her nervous and she didn't know why. She past years of her life looking at those blue eyes, but now Amy couldn't do it without her face turning red, getting nervous y laugh at herself.

When Aaron was back in the dressing room, Amy started taking deep breaths for the time she got left.

With her face on her hands trying to find a conversation theme, there was a silence that for some reason was killing her - within other things from Aaron that were killing her slowly-.

Amy was absolutely nervous, so much she wasn't thinking, and her mouth was speaking on its own will. "So you called me because I have a better taste in clothes than your girlfriend who studies design. That's kind of crazy" she said with sarcasm, regretting it as she finished the sentence. "Kinda. Besides Jossie is not in town" he answered.

As soon as Amy heard that she looked back to the dressers. Like if that curtain could give her an explanation and not the person who was behind it. As waiting to the curtain to explain it. "What? Where is she?" she asked, trying not to sound so interested.

"Let's say after the fight, things didn't go so well, so she went on a trip with friends for a couple of days" Aaron explained. She couldn't understand how Jossie left town after fighting with Aaron. And she couldn't understand how he could sound so calm saying that.

Grown ups are supposed to talk about their issues. The normal thing to Amy it was to face and not to hide problems and go on vacations. "Oh, I understand. Let's say you're taking a break?" she asked.

Why they were still talking about her? Why did she had to open her big mouth and named her? Why wasn't she hitting herself with the first thing on sight??

"Yeah, might be" Aaron answered at her question. And man, in that moment she wished more than anything that the curtain was never opened. "Wow, now I definitely feel guilty" Amy gasped as she could almost feel the air leaving her lungs slowly and painfully. "No, it wasn't your fault. Things weren't going so well. Anyway, what do you think?" Aaron asked. He opens the curtain and left the tester wearing the solid charcoal suit with a white shirt. "No, I'm not convinced" she told him, looking at the suit. Something about the color wasn't for him.

What the hell are you talking about stupid girl? He looks perfect in everything. That face and that body can wear everything.

"You really don't like it?" Aaron asked again. He looked at her with almost closed eyes and his head on a side, like a lost puppy that doesn't get what she said. "Nope" Amy answer, smiling shrugging her arms. "What do you want from me, woman?" Aaron begged, as he pushed the girl, so her back was against the back of the couch. "Honey, I'm the one here helping you to find something nice to wear for you friend's wedding, so don't act like a little boy. I should be at home lying on my couch so yeah, be a good boy and try the other one, the grey one" Amy requested with a sarcastic smile, as she pointed to the tester with her index finger. "Always so sweet" he joked, getting inside again.

In that moment she had a lot of things running wildly in her head. Thousands of questions accumulated. The most have been there for years, after they stopped seeing and talking to each other. Others from the day Aaron showed up in the park. They all had at least one possible answer. Together they were like a dammed Lego wall that she couldn't put down. At least not until she found the answers.

While she was thinking, Aaron came out to show her the grey lines suit which was definitely a great choice. Anyways she made him try on the last suit, the black one.

Since the arrived there was a question she had and put others aside. It was a stupid and hard question and she wanna know the damn answer. "Can I ask you something like old good friend?" she finally asked, getting up from the coach. "Since when you ask my permission or something like that?" she heard Aaron say from the other side of the curtain. "Okay... I..." she started and stopped, and then she started to walk from one side to each other.

It was a stupid question. It was really stupid and she didn't know why yes told him that, but then it was late and she had to keep going. "What are you doing with her? Sorry, but I can't understand it. I know that she's your girlfriend but... Man... Damn, and now I sounded like a bitch. Sorry" she finally said. All the words had come out of her mouth like a waterfall. At least it was one question less in the list.

He didn't answer. Amy knew she probably blew the all thing. She didn't remember a time when Aaron was really upset. Always stupid arguing that didn't last that much because they couldn't be mad for more that they wanted or try to hate each other. It wasn't in their nature. It never was. "Maybe this is the first and final time" she murmured to herself. All she could do at that moment was sit on the couch again, look at the ground, close her eyes y sing quietly the song she had stuck on her head.

When she heard the curtain opened one last time, she opened her eyes but didn't moved her head, she just looked at her hands. "This one?" Aaron asked. When she lift her head it was everything she wasn't expecting to see.

He took her breath away and she was looking with her jaw dropped. He was looking like a fucking prince. She was watching him like an idiot. "What do you think?" Aaron asked again, when he saw that Amy wasn't saying anything.

The suit was precisely matched the contours of his body that it had to mark. It fit him perfectly. It made him look so handsome. Aaron was so good-looking and elegant, that there was no way to explain it. In that suit he was almost magical. So magical that she could exactly remember why she felt in love with him so long ago, even when he wasn't the same guy in some point.

She hated the way she felt when Aaron was so close to her, so Amy knew she had to act not to cause more problems than the ones she had. "Come here, let me fix this" Amy said while picking a black tie from one of the testers, and tying it. She needed to find something to focus on, but it was a hard task. "And I know what you mean. She's a cool girl. She's nice, pretty...But... I know that she's not, you know, the love of my life. She's not the one" Aaron explained and Amy looked at him.

It made no sense at all. She looked at him, furrowed brow, trying to find in his eyes one answer or hint for some of the things that he was saying. A second after she regretted and looked back at the tie. "So you are dating her until you find the right girl for you or until things fall apart? I don't know if that's a really good plan, dude. You should think about it" Amy argued, as she finished with the tie. "Yeah, there you go" she murmured placing her hands in his shoulders.

And then their gazes met and all she could think that time was 'Oh shit' at the same time she mentally hit her neck. Aaron smiled at her and she could felt the heat on her cheeks and her whole face. Amy smiled, taking the hands out of his shoulders and crossing them in front of her chest.

If things worked the way they did before, and she expected not to, Aaron knew completely how nervous and tense she was. When Amy got nervous, she'd start moving her hands trying to crack her bones even though the already done it. It was a stupid tic she had.

"I like this one and the grey. I told you, you are good with those things" Aaron exclaimed, looking at his reflection in the mirror and going back to the suit. Thanks goodness. "I'm good with clothes and economy maybe because I'm not good with love and games" Amy joked. That comment might have been another mistake of the day. Maybe as big as going out shopping with her high school sweetheart.

Aaron went back to the tester one last time and Amy felt as if the room was spinning around.  
That was the hardest thing she had to do in years and, beside all the damned things she had to make a joke about romance and her stupid personal life. Just on the wrong moment, as usual. "You never told me why you didn't have a boyfriend. I can' believe that you work all day with guys and you are not dating anyone! You wanna grab a coffee and tell me the story? Because, besides, I think I need a couple more of your advices" her old friend proposes, showing his head through the curtains smiling at the end.

And he caught her low guard. And you are no supposed to attack asking things in complicated moments. Not when you have an irresistible smile and the person in front is to weak and emotionally unstable at the moment to say no. "Okay. But only if you go with me to buy some shoes that I saw on the other block and if you buy me a cupcake with my coffee. Other way, go and grab your coffee alone" she breathed and bit her bottom lip really hard with her teeth trying to not smile, because she was a completely idiot. "Okay, okay. Let's go for your shoes and I'll give you a cupcake. Damn you nerd munchkin" and when he finally left the tester he was with his clothes again. And it was like the old Aaron that she knew and that made her feel comfortable and even safe.


	12. Chapter 12

_Everything was about to change. In a couple of months even in a couple of weeks everything she knew as her life would be upside down._

_There were so many things spinning around her head to let her focus in just one. High school, exams, college, the pressure on her grades, scores, extra classes, the family pressure, Aaron, life._

_Amy didn't understand how, if they were supposed to be teenagers, they'll have to suddenly, without notice, leave behind the life they had to become responsible grown adults . Amy always thought you can't become an adult from one day to another. You don't have a dateline like a school project or a birthday. You can't just stand on the door of the campus, smell the college scent and be like "today at lunch i'll become a grown up"._

_You live for 18 years in a comfort home, surrounded by your family, to then leave a couple of miles away and share a room or a small apartment with someone you possibly don't know. That's not the way to become an adult._

_It's not supposed to work that way. Amy discusses this a thousand times with Aaron. Her friend agreed, some of the teachers too, but her parents definitely didn't._

_The moments when they talked about it and Amy felt tired and exhausted of it, were when she would go out to walk and ended up in the same place._

_That Thursday she stayed for hours. She left school early, almost fights with her parents and left the house. She was scared and mad about the future and life, but she wouldn't say it out loud. Saying it out loud made everything scarier. It made it real._

_She was sitting against her favorite tree in town and closed her eyes while leaning her head against the wood. She thought maybe the sun and air would help not to think about what was going on. 'Man, I just need a little bit of good luck. It's all I need. Put me in Ithaca with Aaron, that's all that I'm asking for" she murmured to the wind._

_Amy wasn't a true believer so she wasn't asking that to God, at least not directly. She knew there was something bigger than everything, but she didn't care what it was. So the request was for the wind, the sky, the universe or whatever that could help her. It didn't matter where the miracle came from as long as it came. When she was with her eyes closed, asking for a miracle, she heard someone walking towards her. When she opened her eyes, in that moment, it was better than a miracle._

_"Hi girl" Aaron smiled, standing in front of her. He was interfering with the sunlight that warm her minutes before, but for Amy to see that smile worth more than the sun. "Hi, how did you knew I was here?" she asked, looking up and smiling because he was there "I went to look for you at your house and you wasn't there. And every time you wanna be alone you come here" Aaron told her._

_He was right; anytime she wanted to get away she went to the same place and knew it. "Well, I had to admit, you know me" she joked. The boy sat next to her and she hit his shoulder as a greeting. That was what Amy loved about her relation with Aaron: Things were simple and when they were together even complicated seemed simple._

_"How long have we known each other?" He asked after a silence. She didn't knew why Aaron asked that when he knew the answer, but still answered. "I don't know, since we were kids, I guess. Sometimes we played in the square when we were, how old? 5 or 6?" she answered looking at him, but Aaron was looking at the grass. "It's a long time" Aaron murmured, looking at Amy and back to the grass. "Yes, I know. Then we became friends in high school. I don't know how, but well..." she said playfully, pushing her side against his._

_Aaron just smiled but didn't looked at her. She knew him enough to say that something was going on in his head. And sometimes with Aaron that wasn't a good thought. "What were you thinking about, pretty head?" She asked. Amy lay down on the grass and put her head on Aaron's legs, partly as a message that she wouldn't leave without and answer of what was happening. "What's gonna happened with our lives in a future" he confess. Amy felt that was probably what Aaron was thinking but she wanted to be sure._

_She knew that because she knew him. She knew that because it was all she thought about. That was the thing that worried them most. "Depending in what kind of future you talk about. Future can be, like in 5 minutes, 3 hours, 2 days, a week, I don't know" she said shrugging the shoulders trying to make the conversation less serious, but worthless. "You know what I meant. The future after here. After senior year and out of Middletown" Aaron exclaimed, finally looking at her. "I don't know what's going to happen. We just send the letters to College two days ago. We have a little bit of time yet. But yes, I guess things are going to change, its normal" the brunette murmured, looking away._

_When she looked to the street, Aaron grabbed her face in his hands and makes her look at him again. "Hey, but we are going to College together. It's almost a fact. So then wherever we are, we are going to live together and bothered each other for a long time" he exclaimed and it was like something positive hit Aaron. He was trying to convince them that their future was that. "Yes, you are right" she said looking at the sky._

_Amy knew that probably it would happened. She knew there was an option that things went wrong and they wouldn't go together, but until they got news she wasn't going to say anything._

_"What happens if... I don't wanna lose you" she said, lying on the grass with the head on his lap while Aaron had the back laying on the tree. "You're not gonna lose me" he promised playing with her hair with his left hand while she played with his other hand sometimes lacing their fingers as they did every time they were there. "If we go different ways I know what would happened I'm not stupid. It's pretty obvious" she said taking off her black ray bans to look into his eyes. "You can't know what's gonna happen. And yes you're stupid but I love you" he said smiling. "People change with time..." Amy said as if it was obvious what would happen if they part._

_For more they didn't wanted to time would do it, they would change and nothing would be the same, not their relationship or them." Yeah but that doesn't have to mean anything. No matter what you'll always be my best friend. If we part ways, which won't happen, we can always talked on the phone or write emails or letters. We can always come back here and see each other for Thanksgiving or Christmas o vacations. Besides I'm your favorite dork, that's not gonna change right?" Aaron asked with a fool smile trying Amy to believe it. "Yeah, that's not gonna change, that's why I love you" she said putting her glasses on too cover the tears in her eyes touching his cheek. "Just, don't change me for some other girl" she said, this time more as a request". "You'll always be my favorite girl, I would never change for someone else" Aaron told her, and Amy knew it was true but it made her heart jump anyway._

_"Boy, I don't wanna get out of here without you. If that happens I'm gonna miss you" she cried, not bothering to hide her sadness. "I'm gonna miss you too princess" he said kissing her forehead and she kissing his hand and begging in her mind that time didn't part their ways or change them._


	13. Chapter 13

After shopping the things they needed, changing Manhattan for Brooklyn seemed like a good idea. The last time she had time to go to a park and sit doing nothing was the day Aaron found her. The last time they did that together was a couple of days before she moved away.

Now, both were sitting next to each other, looking at the Manhattan buildings and all the noise. Coffees were gone long ago and there weren't many cookies left. Also there weren't too many ideas in Amy's head about what to do and how to behave around Aaron.

After the walking, the trip to Brooklyn and the nonsense talk about everything they had, she made a decision. Amy didn't knew how long that would last. She didn't knew when they'll stop talking or seeing each other so she would enjoy that moment with her best friend as long as it lasted. If things were gonna end there at least, she knew he was ok and having a good life.

And maybe in that moment Aaron realized she was thinking too much, because he was the one to break the silence after a while. "How are things with you parents?" he asked with a very quiet voice. Deep inside he knew that things between Amy and her parents wasn't working well. "We don't talk a lot. It's been awhile since the last time I was in our old town" she explained, trying to sound like it was no big deal. At some point it wasn't, because she was really ok with that relationship. "You always go to see your parents, right?" she continued, taking another cookie from the white box in front of them. "Every time I can. Or they come come here" Aaron answered shrugging his shoulders.

She knew his answer, but it was good to hear that some things hadn't changed. Anyways she smiled. "I don't remembered the last time my parents came to town to see me and not because of work" she whispered, taking a little bit of her cookie and smiling sadly. "Seriously?" Aaron exclaimed but she didn't knew why he was so surprised. Maybe he thought things had changed. Some people simple don't change. "Yes. I always envied that kind of relationship that you and your family have. You know, like if you need and advice or something you just go to talk to them. Damn I remember lots of times when I went to you mom for an advice about stupid chick things" she confessed totally embarrassed, hiding her face in her hands. Amy could felt the heat coming to her face. "You asked my mom for an advice? When? Why?" Aaron asked in a really high and loud tone, almost interrogating the girl, probably because he was totally surprised. "Yes, tons of times. But it doesn't matter now" Amy said trying to left that behind.

Aaron didn't say anything. They stayed looking again to the city in front of them for seconds and then she felt Aaron pushing her with his shoulder and arm. She wasn't looking at him, but Amy could say that he was laughing in his stupid attempt to make her talk. "Fine!" she yelled laughing like a silly girl and pushing Aaron away from her side. "Senior year. Right after you asked me to go to Ithaca with you. I liked you so fucking much, but you were my best friend and I... I was so, so sure that You didn't like me" she continued. "I couldn't go and tell my mom all those things, neither one of the girls who were my friend. I was so scared and kinda alone so I went to talk to your mom. She was so sweet. She told me to don't be scared, that she knew I liked you because she just could see it. She advised me to do what my heart said. And that you were totally into me. Oh god, I can't believe I told you that after all this time!" she told him, one word coming after the other.

When she finished she let herself fall to the grass. It was so embarrassing she almost felt guilty. "You knew I liked you and you never did anything? I was surrounded by traitors! Man, I was hoping that you knew so things will be easier" he exclaimed like totally offended. Amy started to think that maybe he had said something to his mother about it after all this time. "Why easier?" Amy asked, trying not to start laughing really hard. It was totally fun to see him acting like that for something that happened many years ago. "Because I was so fucking scared to tell you something and screw things between us. I always imagined you telling me 'I love you like a brother' or something like that!" Aaron replied, almost yelling at her. Amy really thought he was joking, so she kept playing along. "But you finally kissed me" she chuckled, because the both of them knew how the story was. "Yes, but I... I did it because I was losing you, Amy" he murmured looking away from her.

In that moment her sane was gone as the coffee they had, the cookies they've just finished and the rest of the day. Maybe she was not stable because in that moment, as they both looked at the sunset falling in the city , all she wanted was to stay for the rest of the night looking how the lights and the stars reflect his blue eyes.

And she did. Amy stopped watching the sunset, sat and turns her head right. And oh how she regrets it, because i that moment Aaron turn to looked at her, if a million things wouldn't stopped, she might kissed him. For many reasons, but she would have kissed him no hesitating.

A small part of her analyzed the possibilities of the things that could go wrong or right if she did. It seemed an easy thing to do for how close they were, but Amy put those thoughts away on the back of her mind. It was just stupid. "It's getting late. We should probably go" he suggested. Amy knew it was true, but knowing that after that day things would get probably weird she wanna to be a little longer by his side. "Hey, I know I'm wearing fancy clothes and all the stuff, but you wanna go and grab some shitty food? Like pizza, French fries, whatever. I'm really in that mood right now. It's on me. You paid the coffees and the entire thing" she offered, knowing that he wasn't going to let her pay anything. He never did. "Sure, I know a place near" Aaron simply said, smiling at her.

When Aaron got up from the ground, the guy gave his hand to help her stand. When Amy took it, she felt for a second as if she was home again until she let it go. "Hey, Aaron?" she called him, after they started to walk. "Thank you for bring me here. It's a beautiful view" she smiled at him. "It's not the middle of the bridge and we are a couple years later, but it works, I guess" Aaron answer and he was totally asserted. It was a really good way to settle that old score. "Yes, it totally works" she breathed, looking one last time at the sky and the city.


	14. Chapter 14

Three hours. Almost 3 hours left to finish her Marketing class, Amy couldn't wait to leave. She didn't felt like being there even though nobody was forcing her but it was almost the last month she'll have to take it. After that she would take some long vacations and she'd probably not put a feet in Columbia again.

She was probably not listening at the professor when she her phone was vibrating in her bag. Slowly she took her bag and when she grabbed it Aaron's name was on the screen. Amy stared at phone thinking whether to pick it or not, and even Sarah who was sat next to her realized Amy wasn't paying attention to what was going on in the class. "Hey, you are okay?" Sarah whispered, looking at Amy who was still looking at her phone. "Yeah, I just... I have to pick this" she murmured pointing the phone, picking her stuff and leaving the room as quiet as she could, avoiding the stares of some of her classmates.

When she finally got to leave and checked if the hall was empty, Aaron had stopped calling, but a few minutes later the phone started buzzing again. "Hey Aaron" she said talking as low as possible not to bother anyone. "Hey Amy. Look, it's fine if I pick you around 6?" He said from the other side of the line. What the hell he was talking? "Around 6? For what?" amy said trying to understand what compromise she forgot or a promise she might have done and couldn't remember. "The wedding, A" he answered sounding if it was too obvious what he was talking about. "Tveit, what the hell are you talking about?" she replied still confused. "Carter, the wedding for which you help me to bought a suit for. I thought it was obvious..." Aaron explained with the stupid voice tone he used to annoy her and make her feel foolish for taking so long to figure out something. "Okay, hold on, are you telling me that I have to go to that wedding with you?" Amy questioned, starting to freak out slowly. "Yes, Amy. I'll pick you at 6" Aaron simply retorted ending the call.

**

A run, a cab, a few dollars and half an hour later Amy was in her room with the phone in her hands. "Dude, emergency. Skype, now" Amy practically yelled at the phone while she opened the closet looking at the dresses to find an option. Luckily every time she had a party or a meeting at work she had to get a dress because she couldn't wear the same than the previous one, so she had more than she needed.

When she started her computer and opened Skype, Ian was already there waiting. God bless the little guy. "Hey Amy, what's up?" Ian asked from his bedroom. "In 3 hours I have a wedding." Amy said almost desperate covered with a towel after taking a shower almost to the speed of light. "What wedding?" Ian asked. "Aaron's friend wedding!" she said not looking at the camera but to the dresses thrown on the bed.

It all looked so messed up Amy just wanted to cry and eat ice cream in an insanity attack. "Were you invited?" Ian asked. Was he really doing such a stupid question? "Yes! I mean no! I didn't knew it until less than an hour when Aaron called me saying he'll pick me up at 6" she yelled trying to fix her hair. "Ohhh, you're his date!? Great move, man!" Said the younger of the Carters with a stupid smile in his face. "Boy, I'm serious, I need and advice here" Amy almost screamed, this time looking straight at him thought he was on a webcam. "Okay, show me your dresses, sister!" Ian said enjoying this more than anyone in the world.

White, beige and champagne were out . Black and grey were to formal. Yellow no. Pink was hateful. Red too violent. Violet too dark.

After what seemed half an hour later and more than nine dresses right when Amy was about to give up neither she or Ian liked anything, the boy had an idea. "Hey, A, do you have something in light blue or baby blue or in that tone?" Ian asked totally casual as his sister became a nervous ball. "Yeah, I think so" Amy answer heading to the closet looking for the light blue one she had forgotten. "This one?" Amy asked standing one side of the bed so her brother could see the cocktail dress.

It was a fitted stretch cotton knee-length dress with elaborate lace panels at neckline, waist and hem. She didn't even remembered why she had it or bought it for but it was just what she needed for that day. The moment Ian saw her, his face lighten up with a huge smile. "There you have your dress, sis. Go and kick some asses" Ian said before letting her sister to get ready. "I love you, sunshine. You are the best! Call you later!" Amy said happily to her brother sending a kiss before ending the conversation.

By 5 Amy was losing calm. Her nerves got to the point where she couldn't choose between a pair of YSL nude high sandals or a Louis Vuitton nude peep toes. It was an easy stupid decision but she couldn't make it and she wasn't gonna call her brother again. A grown up woman could not be as dumb as not to be able to choose between two pairs of shoes for a party with people she didn't even knew. Five minutes later, Amy swallow her pride and send a picture of her feet with the shoes to her brother and Ian just answered "Louis Vuitton all the way" so she ended up with the peep toes. Damn Tveit and his damn party.

The time she had left, Amy used it for something productive, so she put her hair in a updo with a braid from the right side of her head down her nape and ending on the other side and a soft but really cool cooper and brown makeup. When she was putting the last touch of lipstick on her lips she heard the doorbell ring and she run to the door. Amy didn't realize she was running, it was pure impulse. "Aaron!" she exclaimed opening the door and running again to her room, not even greeting Aaron properly or even looking at him. "Let me get my bag and I'll be ready, give me a sec!" she screamed from her room and she could heard Aaron laughing and the sound of the door closing.

Amy took her phone and put it inside of the bag with her lipstick, some money and a couple other things and went to the mirror to checked her makeup, hair and dress for a last time. Everything was in place and even though she did everything in not too much time, Any had to admit that she looked pretty good.

She took her coat from the closet and when she walked to the living room she saw Aaron and the girl started to freak out again. Why she had to choose that fucking suit for him!?. She knew that he looked completely handsome wearing a suit but man, that day he looked totally perfect. Amy just stood there looking at him, about to throw her coat and wallet from her hands and Aaron couldn't move either. It was like going back to the first time when they went together to a prom when they were just kids. "Wow, Amy..." Aaron breathed a second later, still looking at her with a smile in his face. "You liked it? Ian told me to pick this. I didn't know what to wear, you know. I didn't knew how the wedding was gonna be, so... If you don't like it I can find another one, something prettier" she asked trying not to stutter and starting to walk backwards, straight to her room to find something new to wear.

"Calm down you stupid girl! You are not seventeen!" she screamed to herself internally. "No!" Aaron stopped her taking her arm. "There's no way I'll let to get you out of that dress. You look perfect. Really perfect. Stunning, actually" he murmured, smiling like a little boy. "Next time you have to tell me before, you know. Girls need more time to get ready" she smiled, hitting him slowly on his shoulder and when she did it Aaron grabbed her hand and made her spin. "For what I see, you did a good job with the little time you had" he added looking at her in the eyes. "We should... go? Or you need to grab something else?" he asked, letting her hand go when he was realized he was still holding it. "Just let me grab my keys" she said looking for them between the things thrown on the table. "And yep, I'm ready. We can go" Amy smiled walking to the door and leaving the apartment with Aaron. "Can you hold this for a second?" Amy asked again, while she was locking the door. "How much did you pay for that bag?" Aaron asked looking at the beige satin clutch bag and after looking at Amy. "This? It's Prada, you don't want and you don't need to know. I paid enough" she hissed, closing her eyes and agreeing with her head. "What? I love bags!" she exclaimed, hitting him in the shoulder. "I didn't say anything!" Aaron exclaimed, raising his hands as a signal he hadn't done anything. For the look that Aaron gave her, she knew he was thinking she was crazy. "You didn't say anything, but I know you quite well, you dork. I know that look in those pretty and dreamy eyes. I'm almost sure what you're thinking right now" Amy demanded, pointing him with her index finger as she walked away. "You don't have any idea" he murmured, walking right behind Amy to the elevators.


	15. Chapter 15

"I can't believe that actually happened" Amy said with Aaron following her into the apartment. The wedding ceremony was perfect until it was interrupted because the father of the bride had a pre heart attack and all became into a chaos as a bad romantic comedy" at least there wasn't a fugitive bride that would've been dramatic". Aaron said closing the door behind him.

After the wedding was cancelled the thought about going to dinner but none of them felt like eating outside, so Amy thought it was a good idea to invite him Home and have dinner there. At least it was the right thing after he took as his date to the wedding." I'm sorry but I think a heart attack is way more dramatic than a fugitive bride at least in my world, I don't know how the actor's world works" Amy said giggling as she left her bag and keys on the kitchen island y Aaron took off his jacket and tie putting them on the back of her couch". " it was a pre heart attack!" He said pointing her with his finger to correct her." Do not minimize it!" Amy exclaimed trying to not laugh. "And you don't make it bigger!" Aaron yelled at her with a silly smile on his face as he leaned on the kitchen island and looked at Amy, who was leaning on the counter. "Stop fighting me, Tveit!" Amy said laughing like a fool putting her head aside trying not to look at Aaron and biting her lip to stop laughing.

It was no supposed that two grown ups laughed at a person who just had a pre heart attack and a failed wedding but with him, she couldn't help it.

That was the bad about what she had with Aaron, he made her laugh in the less convenient and unnecessary situations. "Oh, the poor Amy, always getting angry for everything" he added while Amy turned her head to look at him again "Because you annoyed me" she said trying to sound serious and offended but she couldn't do it when Aaron looked at her with his perfect blue eyes and half a smile in his face.

_In what moment he became so cute and handsome?_

For her he had always being cute and sweet, but the years made him much better. "That's because I like annoying you!" He answered winking at her. "Hey, nice place by the way" Aaron continued, looking back at the living. "Thank you. I never invite anyone. You know, I never liked having people at my house, I feel invaded, so feel lucky" she suggested, looking for a water bottle in the fridge. "Yes, I remember. Always so reserved" Aaron replied, looking at her and walking in the living room. "I've always been like that with everyone" Amy reminded him, shrugging his shoulders taking a sip of water." Everyone but me" Aaron asserted." Yeah, everyone but you" she answered denying with her head because he knew he was her only exception to everything.

"Can I?" He asked pointing at her computer, which was connected to some speakers. Just agreed with her head.

While Aaron searched who knows what, Amy took her shoes off and took her time lose her hair letting it fall on her shoulders. A few minutes later she heard an old familiar song on her apartment. Amy could even feel how her heart totally melted for the memories. "Oh my God! Really? Isn't this too cheesy?" She said leaning her arms on the kitchen island with her face on her hands. "This is like the good, old times. I never again heard a Frank Sinatra song" she confessed, smiling at the beautiful memories.

Aaron stands in front of her, in the same position she was. They didn't say any word, but she closed her eyes, and listened to the music. She always had a special love for old music. Aaron always laugh saying she was old fashioned with music, and that she was probably the only person in school who heard Nancy Sinatra and sang the same song all day long. They argued when he put rap in the car stereo and she hated it. Aaron said deep inside he liked it and Amy founded him more than once singing her favorite Nancy song. Also Amy said that the taste in that kind of music was one of the only things she learned from her dad. When she opened her eyes again Aaron was looking at her with a huge adorable smile on his face. And man, he was so adorable that she wished she could hug him. "Do you remember Christmas in my house when my dad put Frank Sinatra almost all night and I took your hand by surprise and I made you dance with me while The way you look tonight was playing?" Aaron asked and her mouth dropped. "Oh no!" she screamed laughing and looking at the ceiling. She had completely forgotten about it.

That was probably the best Christmas of her life. Her parents travelled to Washington for work. She and Ian were home alone and her parents couldn't be back on time because of the snow. Her parents called that afternoon to tell her that and she called Aaron to tell him the news. Ten minutes later she got a call from Aaron saying that his parents said there was no way they'll let them spend Christmas alone, so the Carter siblings went to the Tveit's house. "And your face was red like an apple because all my family was there watching us dancing and spinning around?" Aaron continued, reminded her how embarrassing that moment of the night was. "And it was all your family, not just your parents, Jon and Ian! Your cousins, your grandmothers and a couple of your uncles and aunts were there! And everybody asked if we really weren't dating. What a lovely night" she remembered, smiling at Aaron. "We were a cute couple, right? Aaron asked sounding serious about the question.

For a second Amy thought about that moment, that night, and those years and she couldn't lie. They were amazing together.one way or another they complemented each other in the perfect way. That was the reason they worked as friends and as a couple though they dated for a short time and the fact they were really young. "Yeah, we were, young, innocent , dreamers, naive, a little foolish" she murmured, agreeing in the part they were lovely together. "In love" Aaron added, pointing her with his finger, as if she forgot about the main fact. "Yeah, in love" she retorted, admitting she forgot that. "Man, what a memorable, exceptional and lovely time. You know, that's still my favorite Christmas Eve. I wish I could go back to that moment. Just a couple hours" Amy told him, like it was an impossible wish that only a genie in a lamp could make true.

In that moment 'Come fly with me' started to play and she saw Aaron's right hand extending in front of her, for Amy to take it. "Come here, come on" Aaron laughed, still offering her his hand.She looked at him with a completely confused, smiling at him nervously. "You say that you wanna go back to that moment? Well, let's do this" he added, while Aaron walked round the kitchen island to stand front of her. Then she finally saw everything and asked the gods to helped her. But finally she took Aaron's hand. "That's my girl!" he yelled, smiling and taking her to the middle of the living.

Then, as if a genie came out of a bottle and granted her wish, Amy was dancing Frank Sinatra with Aaron again. He had his left hand on her waist, she had her right hand on his shoulders, their free hands laced together. Amy put her head in Aaron's chest and shoulder and she could swear she heard him smiling, while he kissed her head. And while they were spinning around over and over again in the living, and as the songs and minutes pass, even though it was her living room, without her shoes and after eleven years, she felt she was in that Christmas eve with 16 or 17 years old again.


	16. Chapter 16

Aaron and Amy sat with their feet up on the couch. Most of the popcorn was gone and the movie was in the Elephant part. Amy couldn't remember the last time she saw the movie, probably a few months ago, alone drinking wine. "You still have that poster that I gave you on your birthday?" Aaron suddenly asked, still watching at the TV. She knew what poster he was talking about. The one of Satine and Christian was still in her room, framed and hung. Aaron gave it to her when Amy turned 18. That was the last gift he gave her. He mailed it, probably with the last letter written. It had also been one of the last times they had spoken.

Amy put those things out from her head. She didn't wanted get sad for that in that moment. "Are you really asking? Of course! I can't put Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor in the trash can. And plus, that's still my favorite movie of the entire history of the cinema and Hollywood and you know that" she explained totally serious, biting her lip not to smile. "Yes, I remember how your biggest dream was to go to Paris to see the real Moulin Rouge. And I still remember how bad you cried when we saw the movie for the first time" Aaron joked, trying to tickle Amy with his left hand, not taking his blue eyes of the TV.

While she put Aaron's hand away from her, Amy looked at him for a second and he was smiling. "Well I'm sorry! I hate when Satine die! I want them to be together. They deserve it after all, you know that too!" she yelled at the end, pushing him and hitting him playfully in the arm, shoulder and chest a couple times. "Hold on" Amy continued, before he could say anything. "You never worked with Ewan McGregor, didn't you? I will die to meet him someday!" she suddenly said, this time totally serious.

She was letting her 17 year old fangirl showed for a second. Heaven knew she loved that man since she was a schoolgirl and some things never change. "No, I never did, sorry" Aaron answered, shrugging and taking some popcorn from the bowl. "Oh come on! What kind of job you had all these years!?" Amy exclaimed, trying to sound offended, putting her arms crossed over her chest. "Well, sorry, next time I'll try to get a movie, a show or a play where Ewan McGregor is so you can meet him" Aaron said. And by that time, when Come what may was playing, the old friends were almost playing the stupid game of 'which one can sound and act more offended'. It was a stupid thing that they always have done. "Fine" she said taking a single popcorn and throwing it on Aaron's face.

Tango Roxanne was starting and they didn't say anything more. But Amy could feel and glancing at him she could see Aaron at times looking at her and smiling. That didn't bother her, in fact, it was funny. She was trying not to look or laugh, but in that point, it was totally difficult not to look at those beautiful blue eyes and that handsome white smile.

So when Aaron thought that Amy wasn't looking he started to smile. "What's up?" she asked. "Nothing..." Aaron answered, trying to act totally innocent and cool. "So, you are looking at me for nothing?" she asked again, now turning her body and putting all her attention on the guy in the right side of the big couch. "Nothing..." Aaron murmured, again trying to put his best poker face.

_What a boy._

Amy was watching how Satine was lying to Christian to save him. She never understood why she did that. If they were going to get away, maybe the Duke couldn't kill Christian after all. Who the hell knows. "Do you think that if Satine knew she would die so soon, she would have done what she did? I mean, go with the Majara and deceive Christian?" Aaron suddenly asked.

She did not know where the question came from. They had talked dozens of times about that film, but Aaron had never thought to ask her that. "I don't know, maybe no. But I wish they could escape together. I mean, I know she would have died the same, but... I don't even know, man" she answered, and she could fell the tears starting to form in her green eyes. The girl couldn't help it, even when she was trying to hide it. "It's sad because she really loved him and they couldn't have a real chance. Well, they both loved" Aaron asserted, and then he looked from the screen to the girl by his side. "Oh, you are going to cry again?" he exclaimed. "No..." Amy tried to lie, but hell that it was late.

The tears were running in her cheeks and she was heavily breathing from the crying. "Yes, you're crying!" Aaron said again, this time trying to put away the tears from her face, but she didn't let him. "No, shut up" Amy cried, trying to get away. "Come, here" Aaron giggled, taking her by the arms and pushing her against him, so her back was against his chest while she was lying on the couch. "You know that Nicole Kidman didn't actually die, right?" he asked joking and teasing her, because he knew how mad she got when Aaron did those things. "You are an idiot!" she laughed, turning her head around to look at him and hitting Aaron playfully in the right cheek. "You too, but I missed you. And you look beautiful in that dress, really" Aaron finally confessed. Amy could swear that he was blushing a little bit, but it was nothing compared with the red of her face in that moment. "Thank you. And I missed you too" she smiled like an idiot.

That was the only thing that Amy could say. She couldn't think straight. She wasn't expecting such a thing in that moment. Being so close to him wasn't even in her imagination. When she realized it, they were almost snuggling in her couch and it was almost so weird yet comfortable that she didn't know what the hell to do.

**

Amy opened her eyes and then she realized that the screen of the TV was black, she felt asleep against Aaron. But then she realized Aaron was sleeping too. She thought of waking him up and make a bed on the couch for him, but she couldn't. At least not for a couple of minutes. After she turned off the DVD player and the TV, Amy looked at the man sleeping on her couch and she couldn't help but smile. Aaron actually looked pretty disastrous, but for her he was adorable.

His bare feet on the coffee table, his roll back and resting on the sofa back head, his shirt totally wrinkled and with three of four buttons undone, the hair looking completely messy and his chest slowly getting up and down for his quiet breathing. Amy had forgotten all those little details because of the years, but now in a second had remembered everything. And she really needed to stop for her own good, especially because she didn't know if she could control her own body and soul for much longer.

Especially because she was pretty sure that in that exact second she was falling for him again. She looked at him for a second, took a really deep breath and decided she needed to wake him up. "Aaron? Aaron?" she whispered, but he didn't move "Aaron, wake up boy" Amy murmured again, this time stroking his cheek really gently. In that moment she could feel that stupid electricity running in her damn veins at the time that she saw his eyes again. "Fuck, I fell asleep" Aaron whisper, his face totally sleepy. "I- I should go" he said again, getting up from the couch and looking everywhere, probably looking for his stuff. "What? No. It's like 3 in the morning. There's no way I let you cross alone more than half of the city in the middle of the night to go home. You can stay here. I stay on the couch, you take my room" she murmured, while she get up and start to stretch her body. Really, there was no way in hell that she let him go in the middle of the night. Probably just over her dead body. "No, I'm fine with the couch" he answered with a cute, sleepy smile and she could feel her legs became jelly. Fuck. "I-I'll go get the things to make you abed here and some of my brother's clothes so you don't ruin your suit" Amy breathed, pointing to the small hallway and going to her room. Amy rushed to her room as fast as she could, she needed a moment to breathe again, while she closed her eyes and put her hands in her face.

 _'Man, what hell is happening with me. I can't fall in love with him again. Not now. Not when he...'_ but she stopped herself because it was later for everything. It was already late.

The girl opened her closet to get an Ian's big t-shirt and sweatpants, some sheets, a blanket, a pillow and she went back to the living room. When Amy got there, Aaron was standing in front of the window, looking at the streets of Manhattan. She didn't say any word, but Amy stood there, watching his tall frame and she knew that it was definitely late.

_'You have to tell him. You can't lie, not to Aaron. No after all this years. This is not the first time you tell him that you love him, come on, Amelia! He's not going to freak out, right? It's just a stupid crush for you old first ex-love and best friend, what's wrong with that?'_

She never made a bed so quickly in her entire life. It took her like three seconds, but when she finished she murmured to herself "I have to tell him".

"Aaron?" she called him, almost with her heart in her throat and her hands. "Yes?" Aaron answered, turning around and looking at her. But in that moment Amy saw his dreamy eyes and knew that she couldn't do it. "I... Tell me if you need something..." Amy whispered, smiling before returning to her room and shut herself up, feeling a total and complete coward.


	17. Chapter 17

_The morning in class had been long, boring and awful, just as the day outside. After days and days of sunny days, finally the clouds had taken over the sky, almost like a prediction of what was about to happen._

_When Amy got home, she was thinking about all the things that she had to do, and she was hoping that no one was in the house. A lot of things to do and no time for bullshit or talks._

_As she closed the front door, she walked straight to the stairs to go to her room. The girl was hoping that if her parents were there, they wouldn't see her. When she put a feet on the first step, she heard her mom calling her from the kitchen. Amy just turn around hugged tighter the books in her arms and stared to walk to the kitchen, muttering a simple "fuck" between her teeth._

_When the girl saw her, Jane was sitting in one of the chairs around the big kitchen isle, with a cup of English tea and the newspaper in front of her. "Amelia, darling, how are you ?" she asked to her daughter, eyes on the newspaper. The grown woman didn't even dare to take her eyes off of it to look at her older kid. "Everything's fine, you know. School normal as always. Why?" Amy told to her mother. She put her books in the aisle and sat in the chair, right in front of Jane. "Oh, nothing. It's been awhile since we talk about things" Mrs. Carter said in a really calm tone, finally looking and giving a tiny smile to her daughter._

_Then Amy knew that something was wrong. Something was strange. They never have that kind of conversations. They never talk about Amy's personal life, maybe because Jane didn't care, maybe because Amy was that kind of teenage who didn't like to talk with her parents about it. If she could avoid those conversations, better. In fact, she never really had the typical mother-daughter conversations about boyfriends. Not even 'the talk'. It wasn't thanks to her mom that she learned those things about sex and forms of contraception._

_"Mom, we never talk about normal things. We always talk about your and dad's work. And when we talk about me, it's about college and my grades in exams. Or Ian" Amy argued to her mother, knowing that deep down she was right and they both knew. "Look, even when you think that I don't, I know you a little bit. You wanna know something, that's the thing. Sorry but I don't have time for this" the girl exclaimed, picking her things and getting out of the chair. "Oh, come on Becca. Take a sit" Jane breathed, trying to make her daughter stay. Amy really didn't have time for that._

_When she was in her feet again, with her books against her chest and her backpack in her shoulder, she look at her mother one last time. "Mom, I can't. I have things to..." Amy said again. She was really trying to make her mother understand, but she interrupted her kid. "I know what's going on between you and Aaron" Jane finally admitted. The tone in her voice was so monotone, almost dead._

_In that moment Amy thought of playing totally and completely fool, but it would be pointless. "What?" the girl asked. Maybe it was her imagination or something like that. "What you heard. I just hope that it will not change your plans for the future" Jane murmured, still with the firm tone in her voice._

_It wasn't about Amy, it was about college. It was her parents plans for the future. If that's what she wanted to hear, then that was going to do, make his mother happy for that stupid conversation died there. "Look, mother. The fact that Aaron and I are 'dating', or whatever you call it, won't change anything, and let me tell you why" Amy said, without entirely admitting that something was going on between her and her best friend. Now that her voice was serious and high, her mother was finally paying attention, while her daughter was still talking. "I don't think that the people from Ithaca college are going to say 'Hey girl, we found that you are with this guy who is coming here. Why don't you come over too? Maybe we can see what to do and maybe we can change our minds and accept you after all!'" Amy explained in a really high and annoying voice. "I'm glad you are saying that" Jane added, with a cynical smile._

_Because of course he was happy that her daughter was going to Columbia like she and her husband and her parents and his parents. Stupid familiar tradition. The only familiar tradition that they have and it have to be that damn University. "Oh, yes, but let me tell you something more: the fact that I'm going to Manhattan is not going to change how I feel and what I feel for him. That's still on me. Now if you excuse me, I have homework to do, I have to call Mary and study the lines from the script because I have rehearsal today for a show that you won't go to see. Excuse me, ma'am" Amy exclaimed in a strangely calmed voice._

_As she turned and went to the kitchen, Jane began to call her back, but she just kept walking and climbing the stairs to lock herself in her room. When she finally closed the door it was as if the world was falling apart._

_Amy throw her books and backpack on bed and started murmured 'Fuck' again and again, like a mantra._

_Fuck._  
Fuck.  
Fuck.  
Fuck.  
Fuck.  
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. 

_It was impossible that Jane discovered them. She didn't know how she could have done it. No one had ever seen them kissing. No one had seen holding hands. Only Jon once found them kissing in the kitchen. Not even making out, just a small innocent kiss, but Aaron begged to his brother not to say absolutely anything to anyone. The only people who really knew they were together were Aaron's parents. No one in town knew. To act as 'boyfriend and girlfriend' they had to be totally alone or far. It was impossible that someone discovered them._

_She needed to think about something. Fuck! She needed to do something. But being away from Aaron wasn't an option. They had just a couple months left so no, she wasn't going to break up with him. Not even if the world was falling down. They had spent the last two and a half years together, side by side every single day, so ruin everything now wasn't an option._

_Amy was sitting in the floor thinking how that happened. She was thinking again and again what they did wrong when she realize that she had to call him. Or maybe later._

_After half hour later, with the books in front of her in the desk, she couldn't think straight. So Amy went to her back, found her phone and called Aaron. "Hello?" a voice said from the other side of the line, and thank God that it was him. "Aaron, it's-it's me" she muttered stuttering. "Oh, hi Becc, what's up?" Aaron said and she could know and heard that he was smiling. He always did when she called him._

_If there was something that Amy loved about what they had was the fact that, even when they were dating, they still keep talking like they were just friends. It was so stupid. "Dude... We are screwed" was the first thing that she could say. It didn't sound good, but she didn't even care. There were seconds before Aaron answer something. "Becca, what do you mean?" she could hear the tension in his voice._

_It was probably the first time that she called saying something like that. And in that time Aaron was a little more protective over her. He was always being totally caring and protective, but now it was different because she was his girl. "My mom... She knows about us. And I think that it won't be long until she tells my dad" Amy explained as best as she could._

_She would never imagined that one day she would call Aaron to say something like that. She knew that neither he imagine that was the reason for the call. "What? How the hell..." he said, almost in a whisper. "I don't know, Aaron!" Amy exclaimed, trying to be as calm as she can but it was really hard._

_And then the silence again. Aaron was probably thinking the same thing she had thought before: who was the one that may have seen them and where? "You think that they are going to do something?" Aaron asked, again sounding worried about what could happen. "No... I mean, they are not idiots. They know I have money. I have all the money that my grandma left me. They know it's enough to get away from here..." she whispered and Amy was going to said 'go away from here with you', but something inside of her didn't let her do it. "Ok. Listen, keep playing cool with them. Especially if your dad say something. It's better if we talk about this in person. You are going to the rehearsal?" Aaron said and he was right, talk about it in person it was going to be better. "Yes" she simply answered. "Fine, we'll talk there. And don't worry, it's gonna be alright. I love you" he murmured, probably trying to make her feel better. "See you there. I love you too" she replied, hanging the phone call._


	18. Chapter 18

_"Amy? Amy are you listen to me? Are you ok?"_

She could hear Sarah's voice talking to her, but she was totally lost in her own mind. They were at Sarah's house to read a couple things together. Amy goes to her friend house in Brooklyn because Sarah had to look after her one year old daughter. For the girl was not a bother at all, on the contrary, she adored go play with the little Mary. "Amelia!" Sarah yelled to Amy for one last time. "Woo, what?!" she replied, going back down to earth.

The last few days were not particularly the best. Between Columbia at her heels Columbia and the last events of too-much-flirting with Aaron and all the drama, all seemed quite complicated.  
" I am calling you about ten minutes ago. Your coffee it's getting cold" Sarah said pointing to the cup she had left front of the other girl. "Oh, thank. And sorry" Amy apologized, grabbing the cup and took a sip of coffee. All she wanted then was that black liquid burned her throat and returned her to the real world.

"Girl, you are fine? You look... Lost. You wanna talk about it?" the mom of the little baby who was in her pink high baby chair. "Auntie Amy is getting crazy, didn't she?" Amy asked Mary, making the little girl laugh yelling and moving her chubby arms. At least the baby was laughing for her misfortune. "Yes, I guess that it will be good to have an advice from someone who is not my teenage brother" she told now to Sarah. "You remember the guy who gave you the envelope for me?" Amy asked, knowing that this would simplify the explanation and the embarrassment of having to say that she had 'a problem with guys', when she was a grown woman. "Ohhh guys problem. Shoot. But first, I wanna know the story of the blue eyes guy, because definitely something happened with you and him" Sarah said playfully. Oh, the girl always knows when something was happening. "It's complicated..." Amy whispered, trying to get out of that conversation. "You know I have time. It is not as if I had to study and take care of Mary" the woman joked, as she gives her daughter her small and pink baby cup with apple juice.

Amy takes a long breath, a sip of her coffee and then she started the story. "We met many years ago. When we were really kids. We went to highschool together and we became friends. Aaron was my best friend. We were together all day, literally we hardly parted. The only girl who tried to date him leave him because, as she said, Aaron never stopped talking about me" Amy laughed and making the little girl laugh wit her, as Sarah watched them, with her mouth and eyes opened. "He really he did that?" Sarah asked, trying really hard to not laugh. "Yes, senior year. They lasted one month" Amy said, hiding her face with her hands. She remembered how the girl wanna almost kill her after that.

Sarah had started having a fit of laughter and she tried to breathe while she said that 'she could not believe that really happened' and that 'she would have given anything to see how the girl almost kicks Amy's ass' Amy had to admit it was stupid and funny. "Ultimately," she continued. "Aaron was everything I could need and more. Every time I needed him or that I needed something, whatever it was, he was always the first one to be there with me. You know, when you are 16 you go through a lot of things sometimes. And every time he was there, like a rock. Always hugging me first and then asking the question. I knew him like the back of my hand. I think I never loved anyone as much as I loved him and I do not know if I'll be able to" Amy finished. In that moment she felt if a car was in her chest. It had been so long since the last time she had felt that pain in the chest. It had been years.

Amy left on the table the cup in her hands and looked at Mary. The baby was looking at her with her big blue eyes and she could not help smiling. She definitely had something with blue eyes. "And what happened next?" Sarah asked as he got up to get some more coffee. "Ithaca and Columbia. That happened. We ended up in different parts of the state, at first we talked every day and eventually everything gets complicated, as all distance relationship. And now I met him 10 years later. He said he had spent two years looking for me" Amy explained.

While Sarah was in the kitchen, Amy took Mary from her chair to put the little baby in her hip as she started to walk in the living. "Really? Ten years after? The guy is crazy" Sarah asked from the other room. "Yes. But now he has a girlfriend. And she gets mad because I have an Saint Laurent bag. And because in a dinner with Aaron, Ian, me and her, I was making old jokes with Aaron about the first time we had a beer in his house. She gets out of the restaurant all angry. Now she's taking vacations with her friends and they are taking some time" the girl said, and when she finished saying it, he realized how pathetic it all sounded. "You have to be kidding! For the black bag? I mean, I want your Saint Laurent bag, but I will not make and scandal for that" Sarah exclaimed as she came back with some cookies and her coffee cup. "I give you my bag and you give me this little princess" Amy joked as she give Mary a kiss in her chubby pink cheek, making the baby laugh. She could be all the day playing with Sarah's daughter and she will be absolutely happy. "We can make a deal" Sarah joked, drinking her coffee.

"You know" Amy said "when we were in high school Aaron was in the basketball team because he always loved sports. We were like 17; it was that time in the year when everybody was crazy to find a date for the prom. I was never crazy for those things in that moment. I was all t-shirts, jeans and chucks" Amy explained, taking sit again, still with Mary with her. "I will die for see that! Right pumpkin?" the mother exclaimed asking to her daughter. "Oh girl no!" Amy yelled, closing her eyes. "Okay, well, then one day we were in the hallway, because I was looking in my locker for some books that we needed for the next class that we had. And then this chick from the Cheerios come over, she look at him and told him 'Hey, you know, if you want a date for the prom party I'm totally free for you'. We weren't dating yet, but we were always together and when she told Aaron that I started to try to not laugh like a completely bitch" Amy laughed remembering the awful moment. That was a really good reasons for why she wasn't popular at all. "You know, the Cheerios girls always want to date someone from one of the teams. So I was there, this girl smiling all cute and then Aaron look at me and look at her again and he told her 'You know, I don't know your name, but sorry, I already have a date' and he put his arm around my waist. I swear that her face became red like blood. Redder than your Elmo" Amy murmured to Mary, taking her Talking Elmo stuffed figure. "Oh no girl! Never go against the Cheerios! I guess that you weren't a popular girl?" Sarah asked and Amy only shook his head.

With Elmo in one hand and the baby girl in the other, Amy started to think that she never really think about the fact that she would have faced anything for him, even when she was just a small 17 years old girl. "You really loved him, didn't you?" Sarah asked, with a sweet smile on her face. "First was my baby bro, and then was Aaron" she whispered, biting her bottom lip. If she was trying to make her feel better, partly she was succeeding. "He was my... He was everything. When he asked me to go to college with him, maybe was the happier day of my life. And now he's all a keeper, her girlfriend is almost crazy, she probably hates me. She probably hates me and she probably doesn't even know all the things that happen between Aaron and me. I don't know what the hell do" the brunette girl said, leaving Elmo in the table and stroking the baby's head.

Sarah takes her cup again and didn't say anything for some seconds. Maybe she was thinking that Amy was a stupid girl who didn't know what to do with her sentimental life. And yes, in part she was. "Puedo darte un consejo de amiga?" Sarah asked, acting more like a big sister. Amy just nodded. "The past is the past. This chick and this situation? It sounds like problem. You are beautiful, talented, intelligent, funny, good person, you can found another guy. Maybe it's better get out of this" the woman murmured smiling softly. "Yeah, I think that Mary think that he's not a good option for an uncle after all. Right sweetie?" Amy asked jokingly with the baby.

Yes, maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.


	19. Chapter 19

Amy was sitting on her couch, with an almost empty bottle of white wine in the coffee table and a glass on her right hand.

After the talk with Sarah she had being thinking, especially what her friend said about being out of trouble. In that moment, being out of trouble meant being away from Aaron. And the point was that in that moment, she didn't knew if she really wanted to be away from him.

If things were different it would be easier. If she hadn't known Aaron since high school and instead they had met now, she would probably used her speech of 'I don't have time or desire to be with someone'. Or at least that was the speech that she told Aaron the day they bought the suits and her shoes.

When he asked why she had no boyfriend, Amy said partly truth and partly a lie. Actually in the last two or three years she hadn't met anyone really interesting after breaking up with her ex-boyfriend from Columbia.

Also it would be easier if Aaron didn't have the blonde girlfriend. Yes, Jossie probably was a good girl, but she didn't care. In fact, when Amy was talking with Sarah, she realized that Jossie probably hated her just because Aaron and Amy were best friends from high school. And because she knew all his family and they had stories in common. But Amy was almost sure that Jossie didn't knew the entire true. She was sure that Aaron didn't told her the small and stupid fact that Amy was his ex-girlfriend. Jossie didn't knew the entire true and all the things they had being through together. And now they were taking some time and Amy was probably -almost sure- that she was in love with Aaron again.

Maybe Sarah was right in some point. But maybe it was the old Amy who didn't' wanted to let Aaron go. Maybe it was that little part the one who was in love of what she thought it was the old Aaron. And maybe the 27 years old Amy had fallen in love with the version of Aaron the she saw again. The only thing she was sure of, was that everything was a mess and wine probably wasn't helping at all.

Amy put her hands on her head as she closed her green eyes. She wished she could fall asleep in that moment and forget everything. Perhaps it would be easier in that way.

She didn't know if was the alcohol acting for her, but suddenly she remembered that she had all her things from high school in a box in some place. Her entire past was in that stupid box. Amy had totally forgotten about that until that day and she didn't know where the hell she left it.

She was completely sure that when she put the glass away and got up from the couch, the wine was the one who make her move. But after an hour of checking in every closet, drawer and possible place she finally found it.

Like she always did, Amy realized that it was an awful idea, but she did it when she opened the box. Every little silly thing that Aaron had given her was there. The small pieces of papers with notes, the wrappers of all the gifts, the letters, some gifts, three or four stuffed toys, all the photos that had together including the photos of the proms nights, even the scripts of the shows that did in high school. Even that stupid promise ring in a small golden chain that she never used like a ring, because she did not wanted anyone to saw it and make questions.

She had worn that ring until five years ago, until one day she left it in the box with the rest of forgotten things. In some point she thought of sending the box to Aaron, but Amy decided to dump her in the back of a closet.

It wasn't an expensive ring but it was beautiful. It was a golden twisted band with an also golden flower with seven rhinestones. As Aaron had said, he bought at a antiques shop. Not even he knew why he bought it, but he loved it the moment he saw it. Aaron always joked about that maybe, if things worked, in a lot of years it could be the engagement ring for their wedding. But until then it was just a promise ring.

Now that she thought about it, that ring was maybe the object that could represent their entered relationship. First it was all shining and beautiful, but now it was just a memory in an old and forgotten box. But she was worshiping it.

Amy kept looking at the notes, letters and photos until she couldn't see any more for the tears in her eyes. In some point the girl was crying because of the alcohol in her body and in other point it was because she didn't know what to do with all the mess. And maybe in some point because she wanted him back, but she was too silly to admit it.

And If it would be different and easier, probably she would accept the fact that she was in love with him again.


	20. Chapter 20

_The air felt to tense as to breath deeply or at least to fill the lungs. The atmosphere was to heavy to put it on her shoulders. Even the books she was carrying seemed made of cement. Amy needed to be strong to survive in there, but she could feel the tears fighting to get to her eyes, a lump tighten her throat and her body started shaking._

_The last time Amy was so nervous was probably the first day of high school. It was the typical feeling that every freshman had, though all practically knew each other at least on sigh. That day in school was different because on the first term she'd met Aaron and his friends._

_In those new halls in the middle of Manhattan she felt eyes staring while she walked with her head down. If she was in Middletown she'd probably wanted to run home and locked in the bathroom, but there it didn't made sense. Going to her apartment was almost as bad or worse than be walking the halls to class. Going there and finding a still empty space with boxes piled wasn't at the least feeling like home. The worst part was that the boxes kept coming from Middletown to Manhattan. It was like if her parents were doing all possible things so that she wouldn't come back or nothing from her was left there._

_Amy and Aaron talked days ago. That night the lights were out, the house was dark and Amy was alone in the middle of the night. Everyone knew Amy hated the blackouts. Generally when she was at home she felt safe because she wasn't alone, but that night she couldn't. She was locked in her room, sat in bed with the baseball bate that Aaron gave her by her side. She called him and spend almost an hour crying on the phone. That night Amy decided to gave up on everything. That night she didn't care about college or what she'd do with the rest of her life._

_If it was on her, the next morning she'll have packed her stuff and found the quickest way to go back home or Ithaca. Maybe she could do something to get in the next semester. If she couldn't, Amy would find a job and try to get in the following year. She didn't care about living with six other or however much were the ones sharing the place with Aaron. And mostly, she didn't care what her parents may say._

_Aaron had to stopped her though it seemed Amy will had a nervous breakdown or a panic attack. The girl didn't really knew what she was saying, but she talk all the time about leaving, that she didn't wanted that for her life, to quit everything but most important about how scared she was._

_After hour Aaron convinced her to stay at least for the first semester. After that they'll meet in christmas. If not they'll meet by summer break. They'll find a moment to meet and talk.  
If she was still feeling bad, they'll arrange to meet again. And if everything was still wrong after the first year, they'll find an excuse so that Amy could leave Manhattan. Aaron promised that but Amy had to hang on or at least try to. She agreed but she wasn't sure she could make it._

_Amy was on the hallway about to get into her class but couldn't. It was like a force field not letting her. She couldn't got in and she had 20 minutes until the class started._

_The air felt heavy and she couldn't breathe easily. Amy didn't wanted to cry. God she didn't wanted to cry in that hallway, in the middle of the campus of the University of Columbia, but the situation was going out of hands._

_She wanted someone to turn around in class, someone to show up on the hallway or someone to touch her shoulder and see those blue eyes but it wouldn't happen. That was probably the scariest part: not seeing those blue ayes every day._

_The girl started walking away from the classroom. Her feet trying not to run, not to fall, to walk fast somewhere where the air wasn't so heavy. When she saw the bathroom signs she got in one closing the door behind. Amy didn't knew what she was doing there but she didn't care. Putted the books on the floor and searched her phone in her bag. She pressed number 2 speed dial and let it ring until someone answer._

_"Aaron?" She asked in a low voice trying he could hear. "Amy? Are you ok?" He asked directly. He knew Amy as much as to know how she sounded when she wasn't ok and this time Amy wouldn't hide it. "No" she answered breathing deep not to cry._

_She could hear people speaking where Aaron was. She could imagined he was somewhere in college with his new friends and hated herself for interrupting. "Give me a second, A" he answered. Amy could hear the voices fading away until they were gone. "What's going on, Am?" Asked worried. Maybe more than she expected, but Aaron always worried too much for her._

_She thought about lying. Simplifying things may make him worry less or it would make him feel less worried about leaving her best friend almost girlfriend alone in one of the biggest and crowded cities of the world. Then she realized it was pointless to lie. Not to him. Not to Aaron. Not to the person (almost the only) she trusted the most. "I'm locked in the bathroom.I'm freaking out about my first class. I'm scared of being here. I don't know if I can do this. I... I don't wanna be here, Aaron" Amy whispered, leaning the back against the wall._

_It was the first time she said that out loud. She'd thought about it almost one time each hour since she got to the city, but never said it loud. Amy had never been brave enough to say that even to herself. "There's too many people and I feel their eyes staring at me. And it's all new and I don't know what to do. It's like the first high-school day, but worse. Probably because I can't ran home"she said and laughed at how pathetic she felt for making such a big deal. "Besides I'm not there to help on History class and make jokes with the boys" Aaron joked and Amy thanked he was trying to distract her. "I swear to God I even miss History classes and your friends" the girl murmured, biting her bottom lip and smiling. "I wanna go home, Aaron" Amy said on a whisper. But those 5 words were more a begging than a comment. It was a desperate request to Aaron to take her home._

_It was like someone forbidding her to come back. She felt left out from her own place. She wanted to go to college but not in Manhattan. Not like that, not alone. "Me too" he breathed._

_They stay in the phone but no one said anything. Amy wanted to say something, but didn't know what. She wanted to keep asking Aaron to get her out of there, but it was worthless, so it was better not to say any. "Honey, listen, I wish I could be there with you, you know that? But you have to do this now. I'm going to be right here by the phone every time you want to call me, but you have to pass this. I know you're scared. I'm in the same position as yours right now" Aaron explained._

_Amy wanted to asked where he was or what was he doing but she didn't. She knew that from there they wouldn't be so cached up on their lives."but you're strong" she said in a very soft and small voice. Her voice was how she felt. "Not as much as you think. Part of me doesn't even know what to do. We are in the same place in that point" he breathed, and the girl wish that she could hug him one more time._

_Amy look at the watch and realized she had 10 minutes left before classes. Ten minutes to be more scared and sad or ten minutes to get some strength to leave that bathroom. "Hey, I have my own apartment in Manhattan, lets leave college, move in with me. I can get a job and you can become a Broadway star. Who needs college? We can make it work" the brunette joked. It was a joke but if Aaron said yes, she was 100% sure that she will quit everything. "Sounds good" Aaron laughed._

_She imagined that stupid smile and it made her heart melt and beat faster. "I know. In my world we're laying down on a couch watching some damn movie you are excited about. I wouldn't mind been watching one right now" she said smiling. "You like when we saw Jurassic park" Aaron exclaimed because he knew he was right. "Yes, but just because i like Velociraptors. I hated when we say The Godfather, Rocky and James Bond. I always fell asleep" she remembered. Amy always hated old movies, and she hate them even more if they were the dude kind of movie. "And that was the best part" he told her, sounding totally cheesy. "Damn, I miss you, Tveit" she murmured, but she wish she could scream it from the top of the Empire State._

_"I miss you too, Carter. You are going home for Thanksgiving?" the boy in the phone asked. In that moment Thanksgiving looked years away. "I guess. At least my parents are planning not let me in home again. They are sending me all my stuff from home" the girl breathed, thinking of all the boxes in her living room. She was very lucky if they didn't change the door lock yet. "You can stay at my house, you know. You are always welcome" Aaron offered. Amy murmured a small thank you before he continued talking. "A, you need to go to class" he said with a serious voice to convince her. "Yes, I guess. I love you, boy" Amy said, with a sad smile in her face. Before leaving Middletown they used the 'I love you' as a normal thing in a conversation, but now it sounded different. And to May it was different because she always felt it might be the last time she could said it. "I love you too. It's gonna be alright, I promise" he said, and she knew that she had to believe him. "If you say so..." Amy whispered and that was the last she said._


	21. Chapter 21

When Aaron showed up at her work and said they were going somewhere Amy thought it was a joke. When she saw they were leaving Manhattan and asked in a serious tone where they were going, he said it was a surprise, but that they were leaving town. Amy tried to protest more than once saying she had to study, but Aaron didn't payed attention. Ten minutes later the girl got tired of excuses and arguing worthless. It was the beginning of the week and the routine chaos had just began, but at some point being on Aaron's car going God-knows-where was fun, so she just surrender.

"The beach? Really?" Said Amy almost shouting when she realized where they were. "I said we were going outside of town didn't I ? No books, no phones, remember?" Asked Aaron looking at Amy with a half smile while losing the seat belt. He really had to stop laughing that much."Aaron, technically this is still the city..." She joked to annoy him. Some days that was her favorite hobby."You don't have to ruin it. Ok, come on, let's go. But first, give me your phone" Aaron ordered, reaching her hand to get it. He wasn't joking with the 'no phones' thing. "Oh God, I hate you. Fine! There it is" Amy protested, taking the phone from her bag and giving it to him. She wanted to protest again but what was the point?. "No, you don't" Aaron said while he left the phone on the car. "Alright, now come on" he exclaimed, opening the door and leaving the car.

It had been years since the last time she went to the beach. It had been like eleven years since the last time she went with Aaron. After crossing the parking, the boardwalk and after taking off their shoes because 'her leather ankle boots weren't a good idea for the sand', they finally reach the beach.

Amy wanted to ask Aaron why they were there, but she didn't wanted to ruin it asking stupid questions. In that moment she didn't care about the answer at all. It was a cold day for spring, so the beach was almost empty. For Amy it was best when the beach was empty and you could walk and hear the sound of the ocean and the waves, just like with the river. It's like if you don't need music or anything, you have the music of the water and that was beautiful. They were just walking with their arms touching and their shoes in their hands. For Amy that was better than anything that they could do in the city.

Even when she was watching the waves and the sand, she could see Aaron watching her. He always did that when he thought that Amy didn't see him. But she always did. "Okay, stop it. Tveit, I know you. What the hell is happening? Why are you staring at me since we left the car?" she exclaimed, pushing him away from her with the side of her body, even when she was shorter and smaller than him. "I just still can't get used to your... Look" Aaron murmured, but he was serious. At least he was serious when he looked at her. "What? Why? You don't like what I'm wearing?" she whispered totally confused looking at her clothes.

She was wearing skinny black jeans, her favorite strip-stitched lambskin jacket, and white long sleeve shirt. "No, it's not that, I like it. But when did you become in this version of you? With expensive clothes, purses and heels. You look all fancy. Last time we went shopping together you buy a hoodie and chucks. Now we went to buy a pair of heels and you paid almost 400 bucks for them! I'm like all t-shirts and jeans and you were like that before" Aaron protested, sounding kinda like a school kid.

The last day they saw each other she was wearing a casual t-shirt, jeans, chucks and her hair was almost under her shoulders. And now well, now she was she. "People change, boy. And in my work it's all about this" Amy added, pointing to herself and her clothes. "And then you have to become in an upper town girl?" he asked and in some point that argue was pointless, but with him it wasn't even a arguing. "I'm telling you, people see you for what you are wearing and what you do. And they are waiting for me to make a mistake and then take my job and my office. You can go to work with a shirt and jeans and nobody is going to say anything, but I can't. The same in Columbia" she explained shrugging her shoulders, crossing arms, despite having the boots in one of the hands. "Your job sucks" Aaron murmured, sounding offended. She knew that it was just a stupid acting. It always was. "I like it but yes, sometimes it sucks. Look, A, I still know you a little bit. I know how that almost blond head of yours works. You miss the kiddo in jeans and chucks, but this is my life now. Fancy clothes, college, the office" she tried to explained but he didn't say anything.

For a minute it was an awful silence. Amy knew that probably the explanation was worthless. It'll take a time for him to get used to the fact that Amy was like that now. She couldn't blame him. She was sure that if her 17 years old version met the new one she'll freak out. "Honey, I'm on the beach wearing Burberry clothes just to hang out with you, come on! Don't do this!" she exclaimed trying to not laugh and breaking the silence. Aaron was adorable when he was all mad and offended. "You shouldn't be doing that" he just murmured, not looking at her, because if he did he was going to smile. It was always the same. "I know! Look, sweetheart, I like to spend time with you. And the best part is that I can be that old Amy with you, at least for a while. But hey, next time I promise I'll go with chucks and boyfriend jeans if you want!" she offered and while they were walking she was hitting him with her elbow until Aaron smiled and said the it was ok.

After the small fight about the clothes and that story, Amy was again with her head in her problems. She was looking at the sand without saying anything. "What are you thinking about?" Aaron asked. "Nothing particular, just an exam I have next week" she answer with a tired smile. Her routine started everyday at 6 or 7 in the morning to go to work and that day wasn't the exception. Besides particularly that day, the office had been a mess. And with Columbia behind her the pressure was much worse. "Oh really?! You are thinking about micro economy or whatever right now ?! I mean, we are on the beach, look at this!" He exclaimed, his arms pointing the beach. It was like trying to make Amy to open her eyes and see what was in front of them. "Yes, sorry, you are totally right. What am I supposed to be thinking about?" She joked, trying to forget about everything else for a moment.

Aaron was right, she needed to relax and pay attention only to the sunset, the sand on her feet and the wind hitting her face. She had to stop for a second, put her mind away from problems and for once in her life, enjoy what was in front of her. And that included Aaron."I don't know, something else, like, you and me" he said in a whisper. It was like he wanted to say that but at the same time he didn't because it wasn't ok..."Is that what you're thinking right now? About us?" Amy questioned. "And in how I missed to see you smile. How I missed your hair loose on the wind and your eyes shining" he admitted, not looking at her. "I missed that about you too. Are you sure this is just a walk on the beach?" Amy asked again because she knew that Aaron was lying."Yeah..." he murmured. "Aaron..." she said with her best angry mother voice waiting for an answer. "Is it so wrong that I wanted to spend some time with you, away from everything?" Aaron asked, putting his arm around Amy's shoulder.

For a second, and just a second she didn't know what to do. She felt shivers down her spine because of how nervous she was. The last time they hugged was the last time they saw each other. In her apartment they danced, they the couch and Moulin Rouge what was kind of like it. Walking in the middle of the beach like that was a new thing. She was totally nervous, but when she felt his warm arm against her neck, Amy forgot about everything else in the world. Even she put her arms around his waist and it felt right. It felt normal and right. "No, it's not wrong. Actually thanks, I needed it. I needed to see all this to quiet a little. And being here with you helps. I'm always more calm when you're around. There's always being something about you that makes me feel better. I don't know what. Maybe is just you" she admitted while looking at him with a fool smile feeling how heat run to her cheeks. Aaron was probably the only one with the power of making her blush like a schoolgirl.

They kept walking just like that, in eachothers arms. In some point it was weird and almost complicated but it was fine. And when they stop hugging they kept going hand in hand. "You know, I regret not having found you before" Aaron admitted, first looking at her, then at their hands together, and last at her ayes again. "Why?" Amy asked confused. "Because, besides everything, this time that we had together was amazing. It's like being home again. I wish it happened before so we could have had more time together after all this years" Aaron added and ella smiled happily. It was the only thing she could do. "Hey, we kinda have each other back in our lives, isn't that enough?" she asked, still smiling y winking at him. "Amy, stop. I-I just..." Aaron exclaimed, making her stop walking and standing one in front of each other. "You what?" Amy asked confused trying to found what was going on. "Can I kiss you?" Aaron suddenly asked.

Her body froze in a second. She wanted to scream yes. To say yes and finally kissed him, but she knew she shouldn't. But if Amy said no she'll ruin the moment and God knew she have never wanted to so that. It didn't matter what her conscience was saying. "I don't know if we should." she murmured, just because it was the first thing that came to her mind. Of course it was something stupid. "I'm not asking you that, I'm asking if I can kiss you" he said again looking at those blue eyes, it took her a second to answer. "Yes, you can" she murmured. Aaron stroked her cheek with thumb and as slowly as he could, lowering his head to let his mouth closer to Amy's. Their lips were so close that they're almost breathing the same air. He was looking at her eyes and her mouth with those pair of beautiful blue eyes that she loved so much for so many years, and he was hypnotized by her green emerald eyes that seemed greener by the light of the sunset.

They stayed like that for a few seconds that could easily be minutes, but she couldn't hold it anymore so Amy just cut the distance between them. When their lips met, electricity ran through her body. At first it was all soft, sweet and delicate, just like her perfect pinks lips and damn, she knows that she could be kissing him the rest of the day and the night. As time pass their lips were moving most in synchronic and she could feel his hands wrapped around her neck and trailed slow, down her spine, until he found her lower back and she could react and put her hand in the sides of his neck. Her stupid fancy boots were in the past. When they couldn't breathe anymore, they pull their lips apart trying to find air, but not moving their hands not even a mile.

Seconds later Amy and Aaron were kissing again but this time more needed. With the hand that was in her waist Aaron tried to pull her closer to him. The kiss started slowly and then it was deeper. Amy felt his tongue touching her lower lip asking for permission and the girl felt like heart was going to jump out of her body. She was so urgent for him that she couldn't do anything else than surrender and let Aaron explored her mouth. He had something so captivating in those minty lips, and as the time past their lips moved in perfect harmony, the universe seemed to disappear. No people, no work, no office, no Columbia, no distance, no time. Just them.

They finally put apart and she looked up at him through her eyelashes, feeling the blush coming out of her cheeks. Amy came to senses of what happened between them. Both of them realize what just happened and they started to laugh, with her head in the middle of his chest, Aaron with his head resting on her shoulder. Their lips were red, they didn't have air and they pretty sure looked like a mess but it was the most amazing, passionate and probably full of lust kiss that they ever had.

When they went back to reality, both realized the sun was almost gone. "We should go. It's getting dark..." Aaron said kissing her head. "Yeah, we should" she answered, caring his chest with her small hands. "Is it normal that I don't wanna let you go yet?" the guy asked again, this time pulling apart to look at her in the eyes again. "No, it's not" she joked, taking his right hand to put a kiss on the back of it. "You wanna come over and we make dinner or something?" Aaron asked as they take their shoes to went back to the car. "You don't have a roommate?" she asked, putting one arm around his waist. "He's at his girlfriend's house today" Aaron murmured, shrugging his shoulders. Amy knew that she should say no, but in that moment her brain wasn't working really well after the kiss (or the kisses) "Fine, but you cook" the brunette accepted with a huge, happy smile on her face.

Amy began to walk and Aaron stood looking at her for a few seconds before following the girl. She still looked like the cute young girl who was her best friend. He couldn't believe that after all Amy was finally with him. The last time they saw each other, Amy was wearing jeans, sneakers and a shirt. Now she was wearing heels and had an office in a company in the middle of Manhattan, but it was still her. And after checked every phone book in New York, after calling dozens of numbers and not knowing if she still lived in Manhattan, he finally found her and he wouldn't make the mistake of letting her go again.


	22. Chapter 22

Coffee. Water. Coffee. Calls. Water. Coffee. Papers. Papers. Calls. Papers. Coffee. Meetings. Coffee. And maybe, work and life have never been so boring before. It was her last week of work before her vacations started and it was like a climbing uphill. All Amy wanted was to spend a couple days with his brother, go to see some shows, eat some fast food and maybe spend some time with Aaron too. No fancy clothes or heels. Just the idea made her smile, despite all the work that she had in her desk.

She really didn't knew in what kind of relationship they were in that moment, but Amy was happy as hell after the beach thing. Amy didn't knew where they were, but it was going to be fine after all.

Amy lay down on her chair took her phone from the desk and for a second thought about calling him, but she didn't. She had so much work to do and finish, another meeting in 30 minutes and Aaron was probably sleeping. Amy just smiled and closed her eyes thinking about those blue eyes and how they crinkled when he smiled.

Amy put her phone away to go back to work. She needed to read some reports before the next meeting, but before she could do anything her phone was vibrating and the handsome evil calling. "I wake up and you aren't here and I want and explanation. Better said, I think I deserve an explanation" he said with his sleepy voice before Amy could say any word. And before she could even realize, she was again, smiling of joy. "Well, hello to you too, Tveit. It's good to hear you. How are you doing?" Amy asked wrestling herself to sound serious. She wanted to sound serious even though she felt like a teenager about to jump of her chair spinning around of happiness. "Hi Carter. It's good to hear you too. Now I want that explanation" Aaron protested. "I have work and you have work too, so I stayed a little bit looking at you sleeping and you didn't wake up, so I left" she explained in a totally normal tone.

She couldn't believe that she was acting that way. It was like if she was a totally teenage again, talking with her first high school boyfriend -although technically Aaron was her first boyfriend-. She couldn't believe she had just admitted what happened that morning. "You were staring at me sleeping? That's weird" Aaron gasped, playing around with her even by phone. "Hey, people do those things. You would have done the same. And let me tell you something, you are cute even with that bed hair and those sleepy blue eyes that I'm pretty sure you have right now. If you're looking like I imagine, you look totally handsome and cute. All these years helped. The water in Queens has something" Amy murmured like if it was a big secret between them. "Oh shut up. I'm sure that I look like a mess" he yelled at her laughing. To Amy hear him laugh was like music for her ears. "Okay, okay. So, how are you?" she asked, now getting up from her chair.

Amy stood in front of the window and all she could see were the windows from other buildings. That was the bad side of working on a fourth floor in the middle of the Financial District. All she wished in that moment was to be laying down staring at the boy who was on the other side of the phone while he slept. "Really, really great. Definitely one of the best mornings of my life. And you?" Aaron asked with a sweet but maybe also raspy voice. "Working like a crazy bitch, but amazing, actually" she murmured with a small and sad smile on her face.

She could look at herself in the reflection of the window and for a second she couldn't recognize herself. She wanted a heavenly sign or something that let her know what she was doing was ok. After all the thing in the beach she wishes there was some kind of manual that explain what to do in that situation. Like 'Falling in love with your first love again', because Amy was sure she wasn't the only one in the history of humanity whose being through that. She couldn't be the only person of her age who was acting like her younger brother. Ian was probably more mature than her at that moment. Maybe at some point Amy wanted to know that not to feel so bad with herself as she was doing.

She didn't say anything for a few seconds and she really didn't knew if Aaron said something in the phone. She was a mixture of joy, nostalgia, regret and something more, but she didn't knew what it was. "Amy, are you there? What happened ?" Aaron suddenly asked, making her go back to reality. "Nothing" she murmured. Sometimes she was a really good liar, that wasn't one of those cases. "Come on. When you stop talking like that is because you are thinking about something" he asserted. Damn him and his 'I know you better than you think'. "It's nothing, I was just thinking, like you said" Amy said, closing her eyes touching her neck. "Can I know about what? You can tell me everything, you know that. But don't tell me that it's about your job or some like that" Aaron exclaimed. Amy could hear that he was smiling and to her was the most sweet sound she can hear in that moment. "No, no. I just... Nothing, forget it. It's stupid" Amy said again, trying to change the subject. "Carter, you're the smartest in this conversation so it can't be stupid" Aaron insisted again.

The girl knew he wouldn't give up. Amy made two steps to her desk and sat on a side of it. Telling Aaron what was going on her mind may not be the best idea, but he wouldn't leave her alone until she talked. It has always been like that. "It's just... I feel like I'm the bad green girl in the story. And you are so amazing, handsome, talented and sweet and gentle... You are like a real Fiyero, but the one in the book. Not the musical version" Amy explained with a small and soft voice. She should have lied. Should have, because the second she said that, she completely regretted it. She was ruining everything with just a stupid phone call. "Fuck. Aaron, I should go back to work" she said quickly, trying to get away from that.

When she was comfortable with people Amy tended to say more than she should. And 90% of that was when she was with Aaron. "Amy, come on, don't! Can we talk about this later? Can I go to pick you after work or something?" he asked and Amy could totally imagine him with his blue eyes giving his best puppy look. Just thinking about it made the silly woman smile like a girl. "You have a show today" she murmured, biting her lip.

She was trying like crazy to say no, but it was like a lost battle. Even when she was going to say yes, Amy was going to make him suffering a little bit. "Yes, but you can come with me. You can stay and see the show. You still haven't saw it. Amy, please" Aaron told her, almost begging her. Her heart was jumping like if she was running a marathon. "What's gotten into you? Are you fine, A?" Amy asked worried. In some point it was funny hearing him saying that he wanted to see her, but now Aaron sounded strange. Maybe it was her imagination, but she cared about him maybe too much. "Nothing, it's just... Amy, I wanna be with you okay? Just with you. We talk about this last night" when Aaron finished she wanted to say something.

Amy really wanted to, but she was just in the middle of her damn office, probably with her cheeks totally red and looking absolutely lost. So lost that before she could say something, Aaron was talking again. "Listen, I've never been so honest with someone in my life like with you. You always know when I'm lying just looking me in the eyes, right?" Aaron asked, his voice sounding really serious. "Yes" was all she can murmured. "Then do it today. Let me pick you and look at me just a second and tell me what you see or if I'm not telling you the true. So what do you say?" when Aaron told her that she totally forget that she was in her job and in her office. All that she want and need to do was hug him and maybe give him a kiss, but hugging Aaron was most important. "Fine, but don't pick me. Tell me when you are back at your place and I'll go to see you" she accepted. "Perfect. Thanks, A. See you tonight " Aaron said. "See you tonight " Amy said, sitting again behind her desk, almost ready to go back to work.


	23. Chapter 23

After work Amy went home, took a shower and went to see Aaron. The day at work wasn't easy at all after the talk, but it was finally over and she was waiting for him to open the door of his apartment. And that time there were no heels or skirts. She was wearing a white tee, blue skinny jeans, white Converse and a black leather jacket. She was pretty sure that Aaron would be happy to see her like that. She even turned off her phone, because she didn't wanted to have any calls.

When the door opened, what she saw wasn't what Amy expected at all. Aaron was wearing just a black sweatpants and he was drying his hair with a towel. Amy didn't even care for his too-well-toned-body when she saw how his smile appeared and his eyes sparkled when he saw her there waiting for him. "Hello stranger. Thank you for coming" Aaron said, with a huge smile on his face. Just that could make all her worries go away, at least for a couple hours. "Hi you" she answered back, punching him in the chest playfully. "I really wanted to see you after all" she continued, walking inside of the apartment. "It's good to hear that" he added in a maybe too sexy tone, as he closed the door behind them. Perhaps it was her, maybe it was the fact that he was just with those damn sweatpants hanging from his waist, but when he leaned down to kiss her she could feel her knees becoming jelly again.

With Aaron's hands on her waist and hers on both of his cheeks they just give three or four small, slow and cute kisses, but it was all that she wanted to keep going with her life. And when she felt Aaron smiling against her lips, Amy knew that she could get used to that maybe too fast. "How was work?" Aaron asked when they separated from the kiss, but he never got his hand out of her waist. And Amy didn't care at all, even when he still had the towel in one of his hands. "Meetings and more meetings. Pretty boring" she answered with a smile, shrugging and putting her small hands on his chest.

When Amy was totally decided to change the subject and kissed him and to not talk anymore about her job, Aaron's phone began to ring in his pocket. For the disappointment looked on his face the brunette could say that he didn't wanted to get any call from anyone, that's why she turned off her phone. "Oh, man! A, I have to take this call, sorry" Aaron apologized looking at his phone and then at her again. "You want me to wait in your room?" she asked, stroking his right cheek with the back of her hand and when she did it Aaron automatically kissed it. "Please? It's just a second" he breathed as he let the girl go from his grip. "Sure" she said, putting on tiptoe to peck his lips and walking to his room with a smile in her face.

Amy took off her backpack and her jacket and threw them on the queen size bed but, she didn't sit. She just stayed stand in the middle of the room without knowing what to do. Anyway, before she knew it, the girl heard Aaron walking down the hall to the room. "Done, now I'm all yours!" Aaron exclaimed, throwing his phone and the towel to the bed, right where Amy's things were. "That sounds good" she murmured playfully as she walked towards him. "So, how was your day?" Amy asked, holding him by the waist and looking at his perfect blue eyes. "Normal. Just another show, but it was good. And you? Before my phone interrupts us you were telling me about your day" Aaron smiled, touching her forehead with just one finger and making her smile again. "It was fine, I guess. Like another day in the office. Papers, meetings, more papers, hours in front of the computer" she answered, letting him go to sit on the bed.

She knew that she shouldn't ruin the moment, but Amy felt like she had to apologize for the stupid talk in the morning. "Hey, Aaron, about what I said today..." she started, but she didn't really know what to said. "Oh yes. We need to have a little talk. How is that about you feeling the bad green girl?" he asked seriously. "Are you really asking me that? You know what I mean. This whole situation? You, me and... Her. It's like see Fiyero and Galinda in the real life. And I'm the green one stealing the boy from the blonde girl" Amy finally said crossing her arms on her chest and walking from a side to another. "Wow, wow, stop. Stop right there. We talked about this, A. You you're not stealing anything from anyone!" Aaron exclaimed, getting up from the bed and taking her hands in his to make her stop. "Then why do I feel like if I was doing it?" she asked, looking at his eyes, trying to find and answer. "I don't know. It's because you always think too much. I think I can hear your brain working right now" Aaron joked, trying to make her feel better. "It's not funny" she murmured, walking a step away from him and Aaron went to sit in the bed again. "Amy, I told you. She puts a foot in this city and it's over. I'm going to do it because you're the one that I want to be with. Not her, not another person. Just you, fine?" the guy explained and then continued. "After all Elphie and Fiyero ended up together and she saves him, right?" Aaron finished and it was like if he was reading her mind.

Amy was going to tell him that he didn't had to do it for her. Thank goodness it wasn't necessary. "After a lot of suffering and years yes, they end up together, at least in the musical. Better not talk about the book" she murmured while she was again, in the middle of the bedroom with her arms crossed, looking at her shoes. "I'm a Broadway guy, of course that we are talking about the musical and not the book" he joked and this time Aaron really made her smile, even if it was a small one. "Oh and I didn't tell you, but I really like your clothes" he confessed, making Amy look at him. It was strange for her that he wasn't saying anything about that before. "No heels, like I promised" she said looking at her clothes and then at him. For the look in those blue eyes and the big sexy smile he was really happy about her not wearing the fancy clothes. "You are such a good girl, baby" Aaron murmured and she couldn't help it anymore.

Amy moved close to Aaron, wrapping her arms around his neck. Aaron grabbed her hips and gently pulled her body against his, and she bit her lip eagerly while she was looking down at his eyes. He was sitting in the bed so to be at the same height Amy sit on his lap with her legs opened. For a second they just looked at each other, but when they could help it anymore they kissed for all those years without doing it. Their head tilde, their tongues played together, his hand under Amy's tee and hers on Aaron' hair and neck and their lips getting red. It was like the kiss in the beach but much better because they weren't in a public place, because they really knew that they want to be together and because there wasn't anyone how could interrupt them.

Amy was totally lost because of him. His perfect lips were getting her totally insane, but the worst part was what he could do with them. Every each one of those kisses was perfect and Amy could swear that she was in heaven. At some moment they heard the front door ring, but Aaron didn't care. "Shouldn't you answer the door?" she asked between kisses and shorts breaths. "Nop. Someone else can do it" Aaron answered, kissing and biting every part of skin on her neck and shoulder. Amy didn't even protest, partly because she couldn't think straight.

She put one of her hands on his waist, almost pushing his body against hers when Amy felt one of Aaron's hands leaving her waist to start to play with the right strap of her bra. And she needed to feel him. She needed him some damn much that she was ready to ask Aaron to do whatever he wanted with her right there, until they heard a knock on the door. "Aaron?" Jerry asked from the other side of the door. "What do you want, man?" Aaron yelled, moving from Amy's neck just the necessary. "Can I come in?" the other man asked again. Amy looked at Aaron and she did a really hard work to not laugh at him. His hair looked like a mess, his cheeks and lips were red and his face was screaming that he wasn't happy about being interrupted. "No way! Get out of here! I'm busy!" "Can you come out? I need to talk with you for a second, dude!" "Fuck!" he murmured, hitting lightly his forehead against her chest and shoulder. "It's all right, go. I can wait" Amy murmured, taking her face in her hand and putting their foreheads together. "Just a second" Aaron told her totally convinced. Amy gave him a small kiss on the lips and she got up from his lap to sit on the bed as Aaron leaved the room.

Five minutes later Aaron came back and closed the door behind him. When Amy looked at him, she could swear that he wasn't the same guy making-out with her minutes before. Aaron wasn't even smiling, that's how she knew something wasn't right. "Hey, is everything ok? Is it about who rang the bell?" she asked, getting up from the bed and walking towards him again. She put her hands on both sides of his face and Aaron looked at her. "Yes" he murmured once. "Yes. It-It was Jossie" Aaron murmured again, now looking at the floor. In that moment she understood why he was suddenly so serious. That was all Amy needed to make her smile disappeared.


	24. Chapter 24

It took Amy 20 minutes to put Mary to sleep. Sarah and her husband, Dan, were out on a dinner and Sarah asked Amy to look after the little baby girl for two or three hours until they went to pick her up. When The baby was finally asleep Amy sat in the couch with a cup of tea and her books, after a crazy week.

It had been a long, crazy and complicated week and it had been three days since she saw Aaron. Both theirs week had being complicated; they had too much work and little time to meet. They mostly talked on the phone. Partly, Amy didn't want to see him until he solve all his 'problems'. It was the best she could do.

The living was totally quiet; the cup of tea was over and Mary had been sleeping for like thirty minutes until someone had the amazing idea to ring the stupid bell. She knew it wasn't Aaron because he was in the theater and he knew Mary was there. Maybe it was some stupid neighbor. Whoever it was the one that rang the bell it made her get out of the couch and run to open the door.

When she opened the damn door, Amy fell like if someone was punching her in the back of her head and a cold air running down her back. "Jossie?" Amy asked completely confused. It's been weeks since the awful dinner. That was the only time she saw the blonde girl, so Amy didn't remembered her face very good. "Hey Amy. Sorry that I came here. A girl from your work gave me your address" Jossie explained, her hands hugging her body. What a beautiful thing that some people at the office didn't understand the word "Privacy".

When she saw Jossie standing there, it was funny in some point. She looked smaller than Amy, because the brunette was wearing 5 inches heels and Josie a pair of Converse. Still looking like Glinda and Elphie. "It's fine, no problem. But what are you doing here? I mean, Is everything fine??" the tallest one asked, trying to sound polite and even good. "Yes, I just wanna talk with you" Josie explained and before she could finished, Amy heard a noise coming from the baby seat. "Oh, okay, sure. Come in. Just- give me a second" she excused herself, leaving the other woman in the door and going to pick Mary, because in that moment she was crying. "Ok, princess, it's fine. You don't like her, I don't like her either. She's going to get out of here quickly, I promise. Just be with me in this one" she murmured taking Mary in her arms and hugging her against her chest and Amy felt Mary little arms around her neck.

At least Amy wasn't the only one unhappy to have Josie there. "I didn't know you have a kid" Josie murmured, closing the door softly behind her. For the fact that the blonde had, she wasn't really happy about the 'crying baby' thing. Amy didn't even care, she just keep making little moves up and down and stroking the little baby head to make felt better. "What? No, she's not mine. She's a friend's daughter; I'm babysitting while her parents are in a dinner" Amy exclaimed putting the small girl in the right side of her body. "About what do you wanna talk? I don't know how I can help you" the brunette asked, while she walked to the isle to find Mary's bottle with juice. "It's about Aaron" the blonde murmured, walking just a little inside the apartment.

Of course it was about Aaron. Oh fuck. What if he told her that they'd broke up her and that he cheated on her with Amy. Oh man. "I should've imagined. What happened with him?" Amy asked, looking at Josie and then to Mary to give her the pink bottle. She didn't know why but the small girl was always happy with her apple juice. "He's being acting strange. He's distant now. I thought this time if I went on vacation it'll make things change for better, but on the contrary. Maybe if you talked with him. Maybe you know what's going on" while Josie finished speaking, Amy felt how her blood froze.

She had to lie. She needed to lie because she couldn't tell her what happened with Aaron. Not even Amy had a very logical explanation for what happened. Or at least she didn't have a very logical explanation to give Josie about it. So yes, she had to lie. "Josie, I don't have any idea. I talked to him by phone three or four times, but nothing more" she lied, with her best 'I don't have any idea' face. She actually did it like a fucking professional. "You are his best friend; do you think he could be cheating on me? Maybe one of the dancers of that stupid show" Jossie hissed, the words going out between her teeth.

Amy would have never regretted if it wasn't for what was happening in that moment. The girl right in front of her was actually thinking that... And Amy didn't know how to keep lying anymore. Even she felt bad of looking at Mary and her red cheeks. "Look, I _was_ his best friend, but by that time I was the age my brother has now. I don't think I'm the person who Aaron would tell something like that. I'm not one of his buddies, you know" Amy explained, again going up and down to entertain Mary while she was drinking her juice. "Yes, you are right. It's fine. I'll leave you. You are busy" Josie apologized, walking to the door. Amy followed her with Mary in her waist and opened the door. And at least the baby wasn't crying anymore. "Sorry that I couldn't help you" the brunette murmured, standing by the door as the blonde walked out of the apartment. "Don't worry. Thanks anyway. Bye" Josie said, waving and walking toward the elevators down the hall.

Amy didn't say anything, only waved with her hand. She closed the door behind her back, kissed Mary's head and get Elmo from the couch to play with the girl, because she wasn't going to be able to concentrate in her books again.


	25. Chapter 25

Amy didn't knew how things could change so fast, but not knowing how, her life changed from being like the damn heaven-on-earth to being a total mess. And a worst mess that someone could imagine, not the kind of normal one. At least her job was always the same. Different of her life, she knew how control the chaos of her work. Amy wished she could control her life in that way. Specially the last two weeks, when she realized and learned that she could control numbers, but not feelings and people. Numbers are predictable, but people aren't and that was the biggest problem.

She was determinate to focus again on work, especially now that Columbia was over in her life. Taking control of her normal life was her first thing on the list, so she was totally focused on work, and even taking more work. She was taking extra, working extra hours and taking some job to home, but she was right. Or at least that was what she repeated to herself again and again like that morning. "Amy?" one of the girls of the office asked, showing her face behind the door. "Sam! Yes, tell me" she answered, taking her gaze of from the computer and looking at the other woman. Sam was one of the coolest girls in the office, and when Amy wasn't covered with work they used to go and grab some lunch with a couple more girls. "A guy is asking for you. He said his name is Aaron. You want him to come in?" Sam asked again, with a sweet smile on her face. When Amy heard his name she was sure that the expression on her face changed completely. She could only murmur 'yes' with a small voice, and then Sam get left the room, again with a smile.

Some seconds later she heard Sam's voice again and the door opened. She couldn't believe he was really there, in her fucking office. When the door closed Amy almost jumped from her chair. "What the hell are doing here?" she exclaimed, trying to not to talk too loud, because outside were people everywhere. "Looking for you" Aaron answered; talking in the same tone has hers. "You can't come to my job like this. And I'm busy. I don't have time for this. What do you want, Aaron?" she asked, sitting back in her chair, trying to ignore the man as much as she could. "I want to know why you ignored me all week. I called and left you dozens of messages and you never answer me. I wanna know why!" the actor protested, taking sit in front of the brunette woman.

Aaron was right, she saw all the calls, but never answered them because she didn't wanted to. "You wanna know why? Because your girlfriend came to my house saying that you were different and asking if we had seen each other while she wasn't in New York! What was I supposed to tell her? 'Oh, perhaps he is different because when you were travelling he came to see me, we went to the beach, he kissed me and I ended up sleeping with him'. But don't worry, I lied. I told her we talked by phone a couple times. But she probably knows that you cheating on her" Amy hissed, the words going out of her mouth like water. Aaron looked at her for some seconds not knowing what to do or say. "I-I can explain it. I didn't know she'll go to your house. I just didn't have time to talk to her" Aaron said, trying to find an excuse, but it was pointless. Amy was tired of all that bullshit. "Aaron, I don't even mind. It's your problem, not mine" she finished before someone knock the door again. In that moment that knock sounded like the bell on a MMA octagon when someone was about to K.O. "Amy, we need you in the conference room" Sam said again, getting in the office again. "Yes, right. Just give me a second" Amy said with a forced smile, trying to pretend that everything was fine.

When Samantha closed the door, Amy smile disappeared. "Like I was saying, it's not my problem, Aaron, it's yours" she murmured in a serious tone, but as calm as she could, while she was trying to found in her desk, the papers she needed for the meeting. "Don't talk to me like that! What it's wrong with you?" Aaron asked, putting his hand on the top of the papers she was collecting. Amy looked at Aaron and she saw in his gaze that he wasn't happy about the situation and Amy's attitude, but he wasn't the only one. "What's wrong with me? You appear suddenly playing Prince Charming pretending that nothing matters when you got a girlfriend waiting at home. That's was wrong with me. And I was dumb enough to fall for you" she hissed, getting up from the chair, hitting her hands on the desk and looking at him straight in the eyes. "I remember you didn't refuse and you didn't said no when I kiss you on the beach" he exclaimed, standing on his feet and crossing his arms on his chest as she looked at her too.

Amy had to admit he was right. Aaron was totally right, because she was the one who say 'yes' when he asked to kiss her. That was her fault. "Aaron, don't start with this. I don't have time, I told you. I'm working. I have to go" she excused, taking her phone and papers and walking to the door. "Amy, we need to talk. And I'm not leaving until we do" he added, taking her by the arm so she couldn't leave the room. Amy looked Aaron's eyes, then her arm and his eyes again. She could see in his eyes that Aaron wouldn't let her go until she told that they talk. "Fine. Your house at 5. And this is the last time" Amy murmured, losing from his grip and opening the door.


	26. Chapter 26

That week Amy realized she'd been blind all the time. She didn't wanted to see the reality and know she crashed against a huge wall. Maybe she hadn't been blind, but lost staring at a pair of blue eyes. That was the problem.

It all had being a bad decision after another. And going to his apartment was the worst one. Almost as bad as the rest she'd taken that week and left her in that horrible position.

When Aaron opened the door she got in not saying hi. Neither had she taken off her blazer or the left the purse on the couch. Amy just stood on the living room, close to the door, ready to run from battle when necessary.

If people said that a soldier that run served for another battle then she'll have to check it if necessary. "I don't have much time. What do you want, Aaron?" she asked, her arms crossed in her chest not looking at him. Amy couldn't take to look at his eyes and get lost again. Not even if she wanted to. "A week ago everything was fine and now you don't even look at me in the eyes. I wanna know what the hell is happening" Aaron asked looking at her, with a mixture of confusion and perhaps anger in his voice. He was just a few steps away from her, but when he tried to approach her, Amy took two steps back.

She didn't wanted to be near because Amy knew she'll surrender to him. "I told you what happened. I thought that it was clear" she hissed, because for Amy it was totally clear what the problem there was. Aaron just kept looking at her like a fucking lost puppy. When she finally had the strength to look at him it was like something inside of her just exploded. "Look, what happened between us was a one night stand, I get it. Now she's back. It's okay. I was wrong. I should know that you weren't going to change your perfect adorable blonde girlfriend for someone like me, your old high school sex-buddy. You probably deserve each other. I was the idiot here" she almost barked.

Then it hit Aaron. She could see it in his eyes. It was as if the light had disappeared from them. His face totally changed. Telling him that she was just a one night stand was maybe too much, but that's how Amy felt in that moment. In that moment everything was over and she knew it, he wasn't saying anything; Amy started to walk towards the door. If the discussion kept going it was going to be worse and Amy didn't wanted that. She was going to say a lot of things that she wasn't meant. And even when she was mad at Aaron, the girl didn't wanted to hurt him.

Amy took the doorknob and opened it, but a hand closed it. She could feel Aaron standing behind her. Her hand was in the door so she couldn't open it again, even when hers was in the doorknob. It looked like if they finally were going to have that conversation. "Don't come to say that the problem is that I have a girlfriend! Look at me and tell me you didn't feel anything when we were together. Look at me and tell me that it didn't meant anything" Aaron exclaimed, taking her by the arm and turning the girl, so she was now looking at him even if she didn't wanted to. "That's not the point. Your girlfriend is one of the problems. The other one it's that maybe, we are not meant to be together. And since we were fifteen the word is screaming us that we can't be together. But we never heard" Amy explained trying to hold back her tears. It was too hard to put everything into words. "Can we please stop pretending that what we are doing is fine?? Because you know that it's clearly not. We need to stop pretending. We need to stop this. We are acting like if we have a normal thing here" she continued, walking away from him. It was too hard to look at him in the eyes, and even harder to be close to him.

Just two weeks ago they were kissing and laughing and now she was crying and hurting Aaron. And everything was... Broken. Just like her heart. And now probably like his, too. "We are practically ignoring the fact that you are a Broadway star when the last time I saw you, you didn't even know what you wanted" Amy murmured in a small voice, but Aaron was still close to the door without saying a word, maybe trying to keep her from leaving again. "We are ignoring that you almost hate my job and I work in a fucking office with a computer and papers and people with a lot of money. And you even hate my clothes! You wish that I was still wearing jeans and t-shirts all the damn day. You wish that I was still the same school girl that you left there. But I'm not that girl. I'm not the same. WE are not the same. I'm this and you probably love her, not me. And damn, we are ignoring the fucking fact that you even have a girlfriend, that you cheat on her and she doesn't deserve it. Everything it's insane" she breathed, finally crying her eyes out because she couldn't handle it anymore. "Aaron, look, if destiny part our ways more than a decade ago they it was for something. We keep pushing and pushing and it won't lead anywhere. The other day was great, but it was the just another day. It probably shouldn't have happened" Amy finally added, cleaning with her fingers the tears from her cheeks, although those still fell down.

"You done? I can't believe you are saying all this" Aaron finally asked and Amy looked at him for a moment, long enough to see in his eyes that her heart was broken. "You were the one who left me to come here and now it's all my fault? Two weeks ago I told you that I loved you and now you tell me that it shouldn't have happened? Are you really saying all that crap?" Aaron asked with all the anger and the sorrow on his voice. She could swear that a part of him wasn't the sweet and tender man anymore. "Oh, I left you? You make a promise and you break it. You always did. At least the ones you made to me. I'm the stupid one for believe in you again" Amy exclaimed, raising her voice, throwing her bag on the floor and walking to steps closer to him. "Oh now I'm a fucking liar? Are you serious, Amelia?" Aaron hissed, doing as her and walking a step closer.

In that moment, in front of the probably love of her damn life, Amy knew there was no turning back... They were at a point of no return, when you start to say, mostly shout all those things you saved for years and were hurting inside, but you didn't knew. Even Amy thought that she had forgiven him for all those things of the past, but now those things were in her chest and throat, wanting to leave like bullets and tears. "Aaron, no matter how much time passed, you lied to me again and again. And there is always someone between of us. No matter if it's being ten years or two days" Amy cried, and Aaron was looking like if he didn't understand what she was saying, so Amy let the damn bullets fall from her mouth. "Six months after we leave I called you for your birthday and Jon told me that you were out with your girlfriend. He thought I knew about it and I had to asked him to not tell you that I called. And then again, after five years I was there in that stupid bridge. I spend two hours there, walking around, but you never came, as usually. Some weeks later I got home and when I went to the grocery store and your mom saw me. She told me all the good news about your new life. You'd dropped college to do Rent and again, a new girlfriend. And like with Jon, I asked to not tell you that she saw me. Now, ten years pass and it's all the same damn story..." Amy finally explained the last sentence out of his mouth like a sigh. 

Amy walked to one of the couches in the living room and sat there, hugging herself with her trembling arms. Surprisingly the girl wasn't mad, she was just hurt. It was the type of wounds that close, but eventually reopened when you least expect it. And it hurts again and again. The broken promise of the Brooklyn Bridge was one of those wounds. "Oh my God... You went to...I didn't knew you would..." Aaron whispered and Amy barely heard him, as the guy walked quickly to the couch. Of course that he didn't knew that she went to the bridge that day. He probably forgot that stupid promised years and years ago. "I knew you wouldn't keep many of your promises for it was a 17 years old kids thing, but wouldn't take much time to call or send a goddamn letter saying you didn't wanted to see me again" Amy protested, again cleaning pointless the tears "You were in New York Aaron. You knew I lived there and didn't even tried to find me just to see if I was ok or to say hi. We were hours apart and you didn't care. If you didn't care back then when we were friends, why would you care when we'd grown up and you became a Broadway star, right?" the girl asked, probably more to herself. Because now that she knew about his life and all the things made sense. At least a little bit more that before.

Aaron sat beside Amy, but not to close. In some moments she could felt his gaze on her, but she never turned to look at him. She was looking at her hands or the floor all the time that she wasn't covering her now red and pink face. "Do you think it was easy for me? That it was easy to watch as you left and couldn't go with you? Do you think it was easy to feel my heart broken overtime you said you didn't wanted to leave? From the moment you left I hated myself for not taking you with me. For months I stopped myself for get you to come with me" Aaron started to said, in a really calm voice.

Part of the angry guy was gone for some reason. Perhaps because of what she said about waiting for him. Maybe because he could see how she was crying. "If I asked you to come with me what kind of will you have if plans didn't work out? You're going to live in a big city and to one of the best colleges of the state and I couldn't dragged you to live with me in house with five or who knows how many people. I loved you so much that I just couldn't do that to you. Maybe I wasn't so wrong after all. Look at you now..." he explained, trying to excuse for what he have done.

She could understand why he couldn't tell her those ten years ago. Told her that by phone when they were 17 and not now that she passed the last 10 years thinking that maybe she wasn't good enough for him or other things that had ran in her head thousands of times. "Don't come to me with that now. Don't come here with the look what you got speech. We were 17 Aaron, I would stayed with you" she exclaimed as calmed as she could. "If you only asked, I would have crossed the world to be with you! You knew me! I would've go with you and live in a shoebox apartment. I told you hundreds of times that I wanted to leave and start over together. You convinced me not to leave this place. I..." Amy cried, hiding her red face on her hands. She couldn't forget that fact that, if it wasn't for him, she would have left everything behind more than once. "I did what I thought was best for you. You were what I loved most and I still do. We are best friends and ex's, we know each other..." Aaron started to say, but she didn't let him finish. Amy wasn't going to let him finish, because she couldn't take more sadness and hurt. Not anymore. It was enough for one day and it had been an awful week. "Aaron, we were best friends. That was over probably the day we left Middletown. And you love the thought of thinking you still had me. You love the memory of the old Amy. But she's not here anymore" "I can't keep doing this anymore. I'm tired. This is it" Amy told him, getting up from the couch to get her bag, and making him getting up too, to try to stop her again. "Amy no... Don't go. I beg you" Aaron begged, looking at her with a sad face, and walking slowly toward her, while Amy was opening the door. "Bye Aaron. I'm glad to know that you are doing fine after all. And despite all this shit I'm really proud of you" she admitted with a sad smile, and then walked out of the apartment to the stairs. She heard him calling her name a couple times but it was too late. It was too late for everything.


	27. Chapter 27

After the fight with Aaron, she didn't knew what to do. Her heart, head, body and eyes hurt of so much crying. Partly, Amy hated herself for the stupid thing she did. She should've controlled it, think with a cold head and not letting her heart and stupid impulses won the war.

After all she'd been the weak one and finally lost the war and her head. When Amy arrived home knew that if she stayed there for a while, Aaron would go to find her and that was the last thing needed. She didn't wanted to see or hear him. She wanted to erase him from her head and mostly from her heart no matter what it took, so the best was to leave New York for a couple of days. Amy put all things needed to stay in Middletown for a few weeks in a bag and then left to get a bus straight to her old house. Amy knew that being there will bring memories, but she needed to be with Ian.

Almost four hours later and trying not to cry, Amy opened the door with the bag on a hand and her broken heart in the other.

She didn't even bother to get to her apartment for clothes. She just went to a couple stores, bought some things on her size y then bought a bag to put it all inside. She just knew that Aaron would be at her door waiting for her to talk.

The family house seemed empty, her parents were probably working and Ian outside with friends or at school. She closed the door and went to sit on a couch leaving the bag on the floor.

After five minutes of looking at the nowhere, Amy heard voices upstairs and begged it wasn't her parents. In that moment she didn't wanted i see anyone besides her brother. "Mom?" Ian asked walking to the stairs. "No, it's me, boy" she answered smiling to herself and watching her brother running to her as she got up from the couch. "Amy! What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming till next week" he said hugging her sister and Amy put her arms around him to hug his brother a little but more than a normal welcome hug. "Yes, I know but... Well, I missed my bro and I need put my shit together" Amy said trying to lie and to hold back her tears. "Your shit together? In all my life I don't remember a day when you needed put your shit together. Come on, you are my sis and my best friend, I know you, give me some credit!" Ian murmured looking at his sister and sitting in the couch, hitting the empty space for Amy to join him. "Yes, you are right..." Amy breathed sitting by his side.

In moments like those Amy could swear they changed roles. Ian was the big brother and she was the silly teenage. It didn't happen really often, but when it did she trusted only on Ian, to some point. "Let's just say that I have problems that grown up people have for trusting in another people" Amy explained, trying to make it simple. "Don't treat me like a baby. It's about Aaron, right? What happened?" Ian asked serious. He didn't like to see his sister sad, though it rarely happened. But when it did he was Amy's rock. "Life. That what happens" Amy murmured, leaning her head on Ian's shoulder. "I thought you were fine. I mean, that you were ok with being friends again and that. Something happened between you and him?" Ian asked, maybe trying to not to push her sister too much, in case that she didn't wanted to talk. "I'm not going to give you details, but yeah. Things happened and he... I... We screw it" the older Carter murmured. "And he has the stupid girlfriend. It's about her, right?" Ian exclaimed.

He was totally mad at the fact that 'Jossie was the guilty of all the problems in the world'. If someone asked Ian, he'd probably say that the wars and all the bad things in the universe were her fault too. "Yes and no. It's about her, about him, about me. But it was my fault because I believed in him. But it's over. I don't wanna see or hear him" the brunette explained.

In some point she didn't really knew of whose fault it was. Maybe all of them's fault. Maybe it was just destiny. "But you love him" he whispered and Amy just sat straight in the couch again. When they talked about Aaron she never said the word love, not even once. Ian was too smart and knew her too well to find out something so silly and basic. "I guess, but it doesn't matter now, I. It's over" she breathed, with a sad smile on her face. "Can I tell you something? Just my opinion, like you brother" Ian asked and his sister just nodded. "I know he hurt you. That's not good at all, but he's a good guy. You should fight for him. Don't let the blonde girl win" Ian added, squeezing Amy's right hand just for a second. Amy wished that all her problems were just a girl. "You are too good, sweetie. I wish I could be as good as you are" Amy laughed, caressing Ian's hair. "You are. You just have your heart a little torn now" he replied, getting up from the couch and kissing Amy's cheek.

Amy saw the kid going to the kitchen while she tried to think what to do. If it wasn’t for Ian she would be lost at that point. The kid was like a light at the end of the tunnel. "Hey, I'm supposed to go to the cinema with the guys, but I'm going to cancel. You need me right now more than them" he yelled from the other room, calling the attention of his sister again. "No boy, it's fine. You go and have fun. I'm going to take a nap or something. Don't change your life for your silly sister" Amy yelled back, too much lazy to go from the couch to the kitchen.

Since the argue with Aaron she felt her body heavier. It was the feeling of a rock in her chest and knifes on all her body. The only two times she felt that, had also been directly or indirectly for him. "Okay, but if you need me just call me" Ian protested, going back to the living room. The guy knew that Amy wasn’t going to give him any life signal if he hadn't asked for it. "First I should turn on my phone, but I'm so fucking scared" she murmured in a worried and scared tone, hiding her face with her both hands. "Of what?" he asked, sitting in the sofa in front of her sister, with a bottle of water in his hand. "Of having a lot of calls or not having anything at all" she confessed, pulling out her cell phone from her pants pocket and looking at it. "You want me to do it??" Ian offered, extending his free hand. "Please" Amy breathed, putting the phone in his brother hand.

In the time that Ian took to turn the cell, Amy just looked at her shaking hands. She didn't remembered the last time she trembled like that. Years ago probably, but never for something so silly. "Ohh... Well... You have like... A lot of texts, voicemails and phone calls. Everyone from him. 'Call me' 'Please just call me and let's talk about it. I'm so sorry' 'Amy, you know how things are. Please call me or something' 'Am, I'm worried. Please just text me to know you are fine' and the list goes on and on. What are you going to do? You can’t be mad at him for the rest of your life, girl” Ian was right, she couldn’t be mad at him forever. Neither was she going to forgive him so fast. “I don't have a fucking idea of what I'm going to do, but if I learnt to live without him for all these years, I can do it again” Amy confessed, despite having a lump in the throat, and without being very convinced if she was really going to be able to do it again.


	28. Chapter 28

Amy didn't knew how much time passed, but she didn't care. The only light in her room was the one from the streets. It could had passed months and she wouldn't notice.

Amy sat there for hours looking at nowhere, to the point she could be practically a living statue. She stayed in that position for so long that when she blinked it hurt, though part of the pain was for crying.

Amy also didn't knew how many times she heard Nancy sang the same song over and over, but that and a glass of scotch whisky she stole from her dad, were her only company.

Even when she didn't wanted to, Amy could hear the whispers coming from the door and more than once both of her parents got in to asked if she was ok, but she'll lie saying it was just a bad day. Ian never when to bother, because he knew his sister would call him or make him know if she needed him. Amy probably needed him at that moment, but she didn't knew how to let him know. Besides she didn't wanted to put Ian in the middle of that.

Her head was blank . All she whispered once in awhile were the words of the song as a mantra. The problem was that every time Amy did it , it hurted more. At moments, within whispers, she took time the blame herself for what happened and the stupid position she put herself. Then she felt a tear streaming down her cheeks, mixing in her mouth the taste of alcohol with salt.

If she closed her eyes she could still feel Aaron's hands touching and caring her body and skin, in the night she was so stupid to fell into his awful but charming spell. Amy remembered how that night she thought many times that in those ten years, taught Aaron what to do to a woman. She couldn't be more thankful about that, but now it all seemed like a fairytale or a movie, in which she was the main character, but she wish she wasn't.

Amy shouldn't let Aaron kissed her. She shouldn't have played that little "happy couple" game while his girlfriend was away. She should've known it was a replacement from his girlfriend out of town. Amy should've believed that stupid charming smile and the glitter in his perfect eyes. She knew perfectly that the last time she did it something like it happened and her heart was broken, like now. She knew she made the same mistake. It's like when people tell you to watch out of the sun and you don't pay attention but end up sunburnt. Aaron was her sunburn.

She shouldn't believed him when in the middle of the night' with his arms around her waist Aaron whispered that he he loved her. People say stupid things when they are on the after sex ecstasy. It was probably some damn hormone that didn't let him think. Though in that moment, with her head on Aaron's chest, she couldn't stop smiling and kissing him on the neck thinking that maybe what they had was real and could work. In that fucking moment she thought that after all the time the passed, that was the right moment for them. It felt to real not to believe it.

After playing the song one last time and finishing the glass of whisky, she went back to the sad reality to find another missed call in her phone. With that there were 20 calls, not counting the texts and the voicemails.

He wasn't hers. He was never going to be. And maybe he never was after all. Not even when they were together.

If she realized that before, she'd avoided nights and days of suffering. But now that she knew how things were, Amy needed to put an end to all the sadness and the suffering. At least for her own sake. Because like when they were just a pair of teenagers, he shot her down her in the heart again. And the hit in the ground made an awful sound.


	29. Chapter 29

A week later things seemed to be... Fine. What happened still hurt for obvious reasons. It was still complicated mostly because when she went out, everything reminded to him. The first three days were the worst. Amy hardly left the bedroom, only for dinner with her family, but at the table she seemed like a lost soul, eating only the necessary, sometimes thinking and looking at nowhere besides hardly talking. 

Her parents still didn't understood what was going on, but didn't asked though Ian constantly asked his sister how she felt. He even bought several books to be distracted and made her a personalized soundtrack, because according to him, when you hear sad songs, you might feel better. 

On the other side Aaron kept calling and sending texts, but she wasn't answering. Amy was still upset, though by then she didn't knew who to be more upset with, Aaron or herself. 

The girl tried to pass time with anything but mostly on her computer doing work, house chores or reading. It was all she could do besides letting time pass. 

That day wasn’t different from the rest. At dinner Mr. and Mrs. Carter talked about business and work, Amy made comments at times and Ian looked at his sister trying to find out how she was doing that day. Dinners weren’t different when she used to live there. After that she was in her room, checking mails, as always. Her life was that, it had always been. The only time that everything stopped being based on work was when he appeared, now life had to keep going. After all she was a financial advisor; she really didn't have time for love.

_She was just a financial advisor with fancy clothes and a good job._

Amy closed her computer and hugged her legs. It was 2am and for some reasons she was still having that pain in the chest. Not really physical pain, just the one you have when your heart is broken. The kind you have when you miss someone too much. Perhaps more than you should.

Amy was totally lost in her thoughts. A big part thinking that she missed his hugs and lips against hers. She missed to be lying with her head on his chest, just listening the beat of his heart. Amy was saying and convincing herself that she missed specifically those things, because the girl wasn't going to admit that she actually missed him. In fact, she had forbidden herself to name him. It was stupid to say that she really missed him after the things that happened, but she did.

She missed him anyway.

When Amy realized, she looked up and Ian was peeking his head on through her door. He had been acting different at dinner that night and Amy thought that maybe that was the reason he was there. Amy thought it was probably her imagination, but now that her brother was there, maybe she was right. “Hey sis, are you busy? Can I come in?” he asked, closing the door behind him as quiet as he could, trying not to wake up their parents in the other room. “Ian! Yes boy, come here! I was just checking some email. No big deal” Amy said with a smile and a wink, patting the bed to make him to sit with her. “Can we… Can we talk about… My future?" Ian asked mumbling and looking at the floor as he sat in his sister’s bed. “Your future? Okay, you’re 16, almost 17, it's fine that you wanna talk about it. What’s the matter with your future?” the girl asked looking at his brother.

They never talk about what Ian wanted to do in the future. Just the normal things when he was younger, when kids said they wanted to do the same that their parents just like all kids do when they start to grow up. Besides, Ian was about to start his senior year, so perhaps he was right and it was a good moment to talk about it. “You are the only one who I can talk to about this, so I need your help” he said and it was like he was begging her for help. Ian looked like he was really worried and Amy didn't know what to say to make him feel better. “Honey, you’re freaking me out, what’s so serious? And of course you can talk with me” Amy murmured, sitting closer to the boy and taking his hands on hers to make him feel a little bit safer. “When I finish school I wanna go to live in Manhattan with you and I..." he started but suddenly stopped before he could finish the phrase.

Ian had never acted so strange, at least not with Amy. They had that kind of relationship that they were basically best friends beside siblings. If Ian had to tell her something important he would always tell her without thinking. Especially when it was about important things. "I wanna be an actor, sis” he finally told her in a whisper. “Ian, that’s amazing! What’s the problem with that, boy?” she asked totally excited. She couldn't be happier about her brother being an actor. In fact she didn't care about what he would wanted to be, as long as he was happy doing it. “Mom and dad. They want me to go to college like them and like you” Ian answered, still looking worried, but at least now looking at Amy and not at the floor. “Baby, you can go to college and study Theater or whatever you want. There are great colleges in Manhattan. And you are smart enough to get in any of them. You have all my support, you know that!” she explained again, but Ian's face didn't change at all.

The boy was still with the frown in his forehead, his sad face and his green emerald eyes shining almost with tears, the ones with the same green as hers. Amy knew that something had to went wrong, of course it had to be something with their parents, but part of her didn't wanted to believe it. “Yes, but they don’t want me to go to study Theater! They’re not gonna let me be an actor! I heard them!” Ian exclaimed, tighten his sister's hand. His eyes seemed as if he said it was the damn end of the world. She could understood it in some point. She had being there. “Bro, what are you talking about? What did you heard?” she asked, caring his cheek trying to slow down the boy and cleaning a single tear from his right eye. “Last night they were talking about us. About me studying law, medicine or finance in Columbia, just like you. I don’t know what that means, but they said your name and something about Ithaca and Columbia or something, I don't know” Ian tried to explain, but when he said Ithaca her sister was lost in her own head.

Amy started to think, put all the pieces together and she lost her breath for a second. It couldn't be possible. Not really. Not at all. They couldn't do something like that to their own kid. “Ian, look at me. This is really, really serious. I need to know exactly what they said” Amy asked, now with both hands on Ian's cheeks to make sure he was looking at her. “Mom told dad, and I quote ‘It was a good idea to throw the Ithaca letter. She had never had a future there’” Ian breathed, after saying everything at once.

Amy let her hands fall from his face and she get up from bed, now with her left hand covering her moth. “Oh my God, no. I can't believe they did that. It was them...” Amy cried, walking from one side to her room to the other. She could feel the tears rolling down her face, but she didn’t care about it. “Amy, what are you talking about?” Ian asked, looking at his sister getting crazy, without an answer. “I spended months thinking that I didn't got in and they did it on purpose to send me away” she exclaimed, covering her face with her hands. She didn't say it to give Ian a logic answer; it was something that she was almost screamed to herself. “Amy, now you are scaring me. Tell me what’s going on! They send you away from what?” Ian ask again, now getting up and putting his hands on Amy's shoulders to make her stop on her tracks. "Send me away from home… And from him” she murmured, taking of her hands from her face.

When Ian looked at his sister, her face was red and covered in tears. And even when he didn't understand what the hell was happening, Ian just hug her and Amy let herself fall in her brother's arms. 


	30. Chapter 30

That night Amy didn't sleep. After Ian left her room she stood the night awake, thinking about what her brother said over and over. And she spent part of the night crying too. She spent the last ten years of her life in a fucking lie and living a life that someone else choose for her without asking. And she didn't let herself think about the life she could have if she went to Ithaca. 

If she was sure of something, it was that Ian wasn't going to have the same luck. He wasn't going to be their stupid puppet, but it was something that Amy would think later. Now the biggest problem was talking to her parents about her problem. 

Amy opened her eyes and realized that she slept like half hour when she heard someone talking downstairs. She looked at her clock and it was 7.30 a.m, got up and when she opened the door of her room, Amy heard her father's voice and she walked downstairs. The girl was decided to tell them every single word that it was running in her head and they were lucky that she didn't do it in the middle of the night. "Mom, dad!" she screamed, walking right to the kitchen. "What happened, Amy?" her mother asked from the kitchen isle, where she was drinking her favorite English tea. "Where is dad? We need to talk seriously" "Amy, sis, don't!" Ian whispered, taking her but the arm, desperately trying to calm her down but it was too late. "Honey, what's the matter?" Charles asked, coming from the living room with the newspaper under his arms and a smile on his shaved face. "You wanna know what's the matter? When I was on my senior year I sanded an application letter to Ithaca and never got an answer, not even a negative one. You throw that letter away, didn't you?" she hissed, trying to stay calm, but looking at their normal and happy smiles it was totally hard. "Amy I don't know what you're talking about" Mr. Carter said, totally calm, taking a sit in front of his wife. "Oh please dad. It was you!" Amy screamed, hitting with her hand the surface of the kitchen island, making the cups jump a little bit. "That was what you talked about?" Ian asked, looking at his sister and at his parents, trying to find an answer. 

After what Ian told Amy and her attack she doesn't explain anything to her little brother. He protested a couple minutes, but finally left alone in her room. "Ian what did you told your sister?" Jane asked, standing from her chair and walking to face her son. Amy never let her mother reached Ian; she stood in front of the young guy, even when Ian was a little taller than Amy. "The truth, that's what he said! You throw the letter because you knew if I got in I'd choose Ithaca and make my own life. You wanted me to go to Columbia to be like you. But there had to be something else..." Amy exclaimed. First she was yelling, but in the end the girl was murmuring. There had to be something more and she didn't knew what. "We wanted the best for you, sweetheart" Charles started to said looking at his daughter, with a cup of coffee in his hand and the newspaper on the table. "And the best for you it was Columbia. It's the best business school close to home" Jane explained with a condescending tone, putting a hand on Amy's shoulder to calm her down. 

Amy looked at her parents and it was like something suddenly hit her. In her head were running thousands of options about why they would want Amy to go Columbia and not to Ithaca. And then it came to her mind the only reason that ten years ago could made Amy change her mind. "No, now I get why you didn't wanted me in Ithaca. I should've known. You knew Aaron would be there. You knew he was the only one that could change my mind. Oh fuck!" she said nervously, yelling the last words almost at the top of her lungs. Amy covered her face with her shaking hands just for a second, and then put them in her hair and the back of her head. 

She walked in the kitchen away from her mother because she didn't want to be close to that woman not even a second. "Amy, we did it for you!" Jane exclaimed, walking two steps to reach Amy, but she walked away as if the woman was a monster. "For me? Since when do you know what's best for me? I could have gone to Ithaca but you decided to send me alone to Manhattan!? You didn't care to see me cry, to know that I was alone a huge city I didn't knew, without no one to talk ' That was the best? What kind of parents are you?" Amy asked, with tears in her green eyes, but she cleaned them with the back of her hand.

She really couldn't believe they could do that. In those years Amy tried to be as good as she could with everything, but she could see now, it wasn't enough for them. "Amelia I don't aloud you to talk to us that way!" Charles exclaimed in an angry tone, trying to put his eldest daughter in her place, but Amy was totally out of herself. He just made her angrier. "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? Locked me in my room grounded or send me again to Manhattan? It's too late dad" Amy hissed with a sarcastic tone. She tried to walk closer to the isle, but Ian stopped her taking her arm. 

When she felt Ian's hand, Amy turned and look at her brother. With his eyes begging Amy to stop, but she wouldn't do it, not even for the person that she loved most in the world and the only person she would die for. It wasn't about him now, it was about her. "Look, we did the best for you and your future. What you wanted to do was a 17 years old madness! What kind of life would you have living with that boy?" Jane explained when Amy was still turning her back on. Ian looked at her right in the eyes and he whispered a 'Please', before Amy closed her eyes to hold the tears once more. "I'd probably have a happy life when the only person really worried about me and really wanted to be with me..." Amy murmured, looking at the floor. 

She started to walk to the door to leave them there, but before she reach it she knew what she needed to tell to her parents to know that no matter what they wouldn't screw her life anymore. They weren't the one who decide now. "Oh, and you know what?" Amy asked, turning in her track to look at them. "For your information, I started to see Aaron again in those last weeks. And it was amazing. I probably had the best weeks of the last fucking ten years. But don't worry; it didn't work, even if I wished it would. Because I really wanted more than anything in the world that things could worked out between him and I" Amy cried silently, pulling the tears from her cheeks with her fingers. 

When she said it Amy laughed at herself. She was so annoyed at everything that she never stopped to think that. She realizes that crying in front of her parents and her brother was the most stupid thing on the world. "So yes, I guess that you can be happy now that my romantic life is totally ruined. Congratulations mom and dad. This is all on you..." she murmured, pointing with her hands to both of her parents, who were there looking at her like if she had tell them that she buried someone in the backyard. 

Amy went out of the kitchen, ran upstairs to her room and closed the door behind her. She sat on the floor with her back against the door and hugging her knees against her chest, trying not to break into pieces. She knew that Ian was going to knock on her door soon or late, waiting for some answers and she was going to give them to her brother, but in that moment all she could do was cry.


	31. Chapter 31

On the way back to Manhattan Amy cried silent tears while she looked the road. She was still trying to process how her parents did all that. She passed most of her life trying to be the perfect daughter and they paid her that way. Parents shouldn't do those things to their kids. Amy always thought deeply, that her parents weren't really like that.

The worst part stuck on her head perfectly was the day she knew the plan Aaron and she made were ruined. She remembered they were at the living room in the Tveit's house watching TV after school. They were supposed to do some History and Spanish homework when the Ithaca letter arrived. After Aaron opened it and see he got in, he spent hours saying that if he did it she would too. For him there was no way they went on different paths.

He insisted all afternoon to go to Amy's house to wait the letter and start making plans-as if they hadn't done them- but she said they should finished the project's first, mostly because she hated History and wanted Aaron's help.

They saw Amy's parents celebrating and the acceptance letter from Columbia in the table. When she asked about the Ithaca letter they said it hadn't arrived but that it didn't matter.

All what happened after that was blurry and she only remembered particular things, like her parents joy and satisfaction face, Aaron's horrified face, the tears streaming down her face, voices like ghosts calling her and mostly remember the feeling of everything around her crumbling down until she heard Aaron's voice and his arms around her.

_Aaron took Amy to his car and none of them cared what Mr. and Mrs. Carter said. She couldn't stop crying and didn't care where they were headed. Amy had her feet on top of the site and the head on her knees and the few times she opened her eyes was to look at Aaron. He didn't say a word, but even in the darkness of the car , she could his tighten jaw and his knuckles white around the wheel._

_Amy didn't knew how much time passed but she realized the car was parked near a lake almost in the city limits. Even after Aaron stopped the car, he didn't say anything for a few minutes. It was too much for both. It was like a death sentence. Or worse, a banished._

_All the discussions, the plans, the efforts, the illusions and the hard work were pointless. It was all for nothing. That was the only thing going around her head, over and over again._

_"We-we have to do something. We need to think about something, a second option. There must be something we can do, I don't know" Aaron murmured, thinking out loud. Amy wasn't looking, but she could hear and feel the hopeless and sadness in his voice. "Aaron, stop" she whispered. She didn't even know if Aaron heard her, but she didn't care. "Maybe we can talk to someone to see if there was a mistake. Or maybe..." he added, running his hands through his hair._

_Amy in the other side was crying silent tears. She wanted him to stop. To stop talking, to stop thinking, to stop everything. All that Amy wanted in that moment was to Aaron to hug her against his warm body for the rest of the eternity. Or at least for the rest of the night. "Aaron, please. Stop. It's over. I didn't get in. I'm not going to Ithaca. The plans went wrong, we can't do anything..." she cried. Her entire body was shaking and the tears were burning her cheeks. "Are you serious?" Aaron demanded, looking at her with angry in his eyes. "Yes..." she whispered with a small voice. "Am, it's not over! Then what? You are giving up? All the plans mean nothing to you?" he asked again, making her cry even more._

_She could barely keep herself in one piece, but she couldn't handle such a stupid rudeness from him. Especially when Aaron knew how much he meant to her. "Babe, please, stop. I feel like I have a thousand knifes in my body. I have a fucking rock in my chest. You're not helping telling me that our plans don't mean anything to me. Can you just... Can you just hug me and lie to me saying that everything's going to be fine? Please?" Amy begged him. She wasn't thinking straight. Her mind was talking for her, but she felt like if her body was made from ice. She felt cold even when she shouldn't and when her cheeks, ears and throat felt like the fire. "Come here" he murmured, taking of first his seat belt and then Amy's. Then he helped the girl to get to sit on his lap facing the passenger door. Amy hid her face on Aaron's neck and put her arms around his waist and he put his around her body, and in that moment looked even smaller. "I don't wanna lie to you telling you those things" he murmured, kissing her forehead and stroking the hair on the back of Amy's hair. "I know, but now it's all that I need. You and those lies are all that can keep me in one piece" she sobbed against his neck, trying to hide from the world in his arms._

She couldn't believe that night happened ten years ago. That evening she cried in Aaron's arms in the back seat of the car until they fall asleep there, because they were too tired to argue and mourn. Ten years was a fucking life. Ten years and she still couldn't get over it. "Amy, are you alright?" the guy by her right side asked, why a worried tone. "Yes. Don't worry" she lied to Ian, because if she thought about it, her life was almost based on lies, so one more lie wasn't going to change anything after all.


	32. Chapter 32

The Carter siblings went to the theater that night, not because Amy really wanted, just because Ian made her go. At the second that they get in the place, she was looking everywhere, in case she had to hide from someone. And until they were guided and taken to their seats she didn't felt safe. "Bro, I'm not sure about this" she murmured to Ian, the one who was at her right side. "Come on Amy..." the guy murmured, with his nose in the Playbill that they gave him just a seconds before.

The guy looked like he was a kid in a candy store. Or Amy in the M&M world. "Why couldn't you come with a friend or someone else?" Amy asked, trying to act normal, but moving in her seat like she was really needing to pee or something. She was so nervous that she really couldn't stop. "Because I like to do these things with you. Come to Broadway shows it's something I like to do with you" the young man explained, taking her head out of the Playbill and looking at his sister with his best look of 'I told you this five minutes and ten blocks ago'. "I know, but why this show, man? Seriously?" Amy asked again, now being totally unbearable, even to herself. "Because we had the tickets weeks ago and because you need to know if you're over him" Ian explained, again not paying attention to his sister and reading the program.

He was right. Just before the fight with Aaron they heard Catch was closing and IAan begged his sister to take him to he closing night. At that moment she gladly agreed, she even happy to see Aaron with her brother. She had forgotten they had the tickets and when Ian reminded her, Amy tried to refuse but couldn't. You can't promise something to a seventeen years old guy, then regret your decision and try to make him forget about the entire thing.

Amy looked at her phone before turning it off and dropping it in her bag again. There were still 10 minutes for the show began and the room was being filled with people. A lot of people. "Hey, had you talked to him?" Ian suddenly ask, not looking at the Playbill anymore and looking at the stage and then at his sister. "I don't wanna talk about that, bro" Amy simply answered.

The 'Aaron thing' was something that she was avoiding for the last days, since they came back from Middletown. She really didn't wanted to talk about him, even when they were about to see him in the stage. "Fine, fine" Ian whispered, with his attention in the stage. Man, if she was nervous about seeing Aaron again in the stage, Ian was ten time worse. Now that he knew he was going to study Theater it was all he talked about. He showed Amy all his research about Colleges and classes and even half-times jobs to help to pay college and his things. Catch me if you can was the first show he was going to see knowing that someday he could be on that same stage.

Amy looked at Ian watching the stage and his eyes were shining and just that made her smile. Even for a second it made her forget that she was about to see Aaron. But in some point she was there to see him and to see if she was over it or not at all. If she could survive the show maybe it was something good. "When I talk with him the last time, he said that he was sorry like ten times in a minute. You know, he asked me to tell you that. And that he was going to be waiting for your call. He sounded very, very regretful. And sad" Ian suddenly said, even when it wasn't something that Amy already knew. "Well, he should have thought about that before" Amy breathed, trying to act indifferent. Since they went back to Manhattan, Amy was acting like she didn't had said everything she actually said about Aaron and the best weeks of her past years.

After the discussion with her parents Amy explained everything to Ian about how her parents lied to her and what happened with Aaron. And she promised to her brother that she was going to pay for her college and support him no matter what. After that talk she never say a word about Aaron anymore. At least until Ian reminded her about the tickets to the show. "How are you with that entire thing about...? You know. You are still mad at him?" Ian asked, turning a little bit in his seat to look at Amy. "I don't know. Sometimes I say 'Fuck, I'm don't wanna go out of the bed and I wanna forget about him' and other days I'm like 'Fuck, maybe I should call him or something'. I don't even know if I'm still mad. I really thought that this time it would work. You know, ten years later, now that we both grow up. I guess I was wrong again" she explained, looking at her hands in her lap and avoiding Ian's gaze.

She felt totally stupid. The answered should be yes or no and nothing more, but probably knew she was there to try to find that answer. "They say third time charm, right?" Ian exclaimed with a smile on his face. The guy really wanted Amy to be happy and he knew that deep, deep inside she still loved him, even when she didn't say anything, not even Aaron's name. And besides, Amy knew that Ian really liked Aaron, so in part he was really insistent for that reason. "Yes, but I don't think there's going to be a third time" she answered, with a sad smile, looking at her brother and then at the Playbill in the guy's hand. She really wanted to look at it, but his photo was there and she couldn't look at him. She wasn't ready yet.

Or maybe she was, but it was late because the lights were down. Hey sis, do you think you can talk with mom and dad about my college? You know, about what we talk..." Ian whispered in her ear very softly, so only she could hear. "It's going to be hard but yes, of course I'll talk to them, I" she answered in the same way. There was nothing that she wouldn't do for that boy. She never overreacted all the times that she said that she could take a bullet for her brother. If Amy had to she would do it. "Thank you, sis. And if you need it you can grab my hand. I'll be here for you" he murmured on last time, squeezing Amy hand. "Thanks you, big boy" she said him back. When the lights were totally out and the music started, Amy knew that it was maybe the last time that she had to find out if she was over with the Aaron story or not at all. She had two hours and half to find out if she could survive to the show and put an end to their story, or if it was going to turn into the worst nightmare for her heart and the end of her own sanity. Whatever it was, it was going to be hard as hell to find out.


	33. Chapter 33

After two weeks in Manhattan with Ian, Amy decided it was time to go back to Middletown to confront their parents. No about her, but about Ian's future. It had been too long and hard weeks, but it was time to do it.

The girl rented a car and drove all the way to their hometown thinking about a speech for their parents. She had a really good one in her head, but in the second she stopped the car in front of the family house, everything was erased from her mind. Without any more time to think about another speech, the girl and her brother got out of the car and t walked to the door, after Ian draw his things from the car. When he finally pulled the keys from his bag, Amy was paralyzed looking at the door. She didn't even know how she was going to walk in and look at them in the eyes, knowing what they did to her. Amy wished that she didn't had to do that, but it was Ian who asked her, so the girl didn't had another option than put her shit together, with Ian by her side squeezing her arm and murmuring that 'she could do it'. Sometimes Amy wished that his brother didn't look at her like if she wasn't a fucking superhero. God knows that she was the opposite.

When Ian opened the door Amy could heard her mother starting to say something to the young guy, and when Amy walked through the door Jane looked at her totally surprised. "Amy, what are you doing here?" Jane asked. A second later Charles came appearing from the kitchen, with the same surprised look that his wife had. "I came to bring Ian back, and to talk to you about him and his future. Can you sit down please?" Amy asked in a serious tone, closing the door behind her. It was now time to put her shit finally together "Amy, we..." Charles try to say, but Amy extended her hand to make him shut up. "No. I'm going to talk first" she said, making it clear that she was the one who put the rules in the house that day.

Jane and Charles didn't say anything. The just sat on the big couch on the living room, looking at their kids in silence. Amy looked at Ian, sitting in a side and the she screamed to herself that it was now or never. "Fine. Things are like this. Ian wants be an actor. I don't know if he wanna do Theater or Musical Theater or movies or TV shows, but he wanna go to Drama school. I'm telling you what is going to happen" she continued.

Amy was walking slowly from one side to another, her arms were crossed on her chest, but it was more to make her stay in one piece. She was acting like if she was talking with someone from her work about their job and not with her parents about her brothers' future. "Ian will apply and audition for the best college he can get in and after high school he's moving in with me. And yes, I'm going to work day and night to pay for it. The point is that A: you can say no and protest, but we are doing it anyway. Or B: you can help us and make your son dream come true and not screw his life like you do with me. Let's call it redemption" she explained, in a really bitchy attitude. It was a good chance to make them know that she was still mad with what they had done. In fact, Amy wasn't sure if someday she will forgive them. "Oh, and in the case that you choose A, don't you try to get in the trash any fucking letter, it's not an option. Those letters are not going to get here; they are going right to my address. We let you think about your choice" Amy finished, walking again to the door and walking out of the house. Ian run after her while she sat on the curb, hiding her face on her hands. She needed air. She needed to get out of that house and the town as soon as she could.

When she looked up, she was in the same place she was ten years before. Sitting there in the sidewalk of her old house, scared, mad with the world, feeling like if the air wasn't enough and with Ian running after her. She wished that Aaron would be there too to hold her and tell her that everything would be fine, even if it was a lie.

Amy didn't wanted to cry and she wouldn't let herself cry, at least not until she was in the middle of the road, totally alone. She couldn't cry if she had to keep talking with her parents about their decision. "You did it great girl!" Ian exclaimed, sitting in her left side. Amy looked at him and the kid couldn't look happier. At least someone was happy there. "You are my bro. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for you" she murmured, looking at her shoes. Amy didn't knew if that was a logical answer, but it was the first thing that cross her mind. "I know. I don't know what I will do without you" Ian replied, putting his hand in her knee and looking at his sister with loving eyes.

In that moment Amy thought that she shouldn't been acting like a poor schoolgirl. She should been fighting with all that she had to try to give Ian a good future. She shouldn't been in the same position that she was the years before because it was stupid. "Look, I... I'm going to start raising money for your college, I told you that. If they say no screw them. If you wanna be an actor then you are going to do it. If they don't like it then it's their problem. You're going to become an amazing actor on Broadway or whatever. And you're going to make me feel proud, deal?" Amy finally asked to Ian, looking at him in the eyes, taking his hand with her and finally putting her shit together. "You wanna be my agent?" Ian joked, making Amy smile with him. "Of course that I wanna be your agent, silly boy!" she responded, hitting her shoulder with hers and they smile until they heard the front door house opening. "Guys... Can you come in?" Charles asked, waiting by the door, and then going inside again.

The siblings got up, Ian helping Amy, and they started to walk side by side towards the house, but Amy stopped Ian before they reach the door. "I, for good or for worse, we are in this together. We are going to figured out this shit together" Amy murmured, putting her hands on his shoulders and looking at him in the eyes. "'Till the end of the line?" Ian asked, with a big smile on his face, because of what she sister said. He knew that if Amy told him that, then it was going to be true that they could do it together. "'Till the end and more" Amy answered, smiling and placing a kiss on his cheek. "Let's do this" she finally said, getting into the house, with Ian closing the door behind them.


	34. Chapter 34

Coming back home after what happened was strange, but deep inside it was good. The night before the party Amy couldn't sleep. Being in her old room was completely weird after all what happened, even being on her house felt weird.

When she woke up she had nothing to do or to go, so she walked to the place she knew best in town, her tree in Thrall Park. The place was exactly the same she left years ago and never put a foot on again because it hurt. Sitting there after all that time was like coming back home but with something missing.

Amy was there until she decides that it was enough and she went home again to start to prepare herself to the class reunion with her former classmates. Everybody knew that those parties are just to see how the others are doing, see how ruined the others are, see their husbands and their wives and see who was still single. Amy was right in that category. The party was going to be in a Gold club near the town, because like she read on internet, the director of the club was one of her classmates.

During afternoon Ian called a lot of times, checking how Amy was. She thought that maybe he was checking if she was still alive or if she'd gone crazy or even if she didn't jump from the window on her room in the first floor of the house. She wasn't going to jump after finally go back to Middletown, but Amy couldn't say that she wasn't going to go crazy at any time soon. More specifically she didn't know if she wouldn't go crazy at the moment that Amy get to the reunion.

In her old room she look at herself in the mirror dozen times, with the speech of 'You can do this' and 'You look fine'. She was wearing a little black cocktail dress with sweetheart top and tulip skirt, a pair of black laser cut leather pointy toe pumps and a red clutch; and probably in another moment she would have felt great with her outfit. In that moment it was just a little black red with some expensive shoes and bag.

After fifteen minutes in a taxi she finally arrived to the damn party. She didn't remember that the place was so big, but there she was in the middle of that ballroom with a lot of people that she didn't knew or saw in the last ten years. The place was really beautiful: it was a big room with large windows in one of the sides of the room, overlooking the golf course and the balcony. In that same part of the room were a couple couches and coffee tables and in the opposite side was the bar. As Ian told her, one of her ex classmates was now the director of the golf club, that was the reason why the party was there and free. And more than a class reunion that was a fucking classy party with blue and purple light and people in their late twenties drinking.

Half an hour later she was by the bar with two of her old friends talking about life, Karen and Penny husbands and other stupid things in any girl talk. The girls asked about Aaron and her, but she never told them the true. There was no way that she was going to say what just happened between them, so Amy changed the subject and start to ask Penny about her six months pregnancy and how wonderful she was looking.

Amy didn't understand how all that people could be acting as lifelong friends, when the last time that they saw they were talking bullshit about each other. People change and everything, but that was too much. And everything was fine until Amy saw Marshall walking towards Karen, Penny and her. Marshall aka the douchebag from the basketball team. The one that always try to hit on her, but she was too busy looking at Aaron. "Carter, Chandler and Cooper. Look at the C girls, together again" Marshall exclaimed with a glass in his hand. Amy was sure it was alcohol, because he smelled like alcohol when he talked. He and a couple more of people used to call them 'the C girls' because they were Amelia Carter, Penny Chandler and Karen Cooper. It was the most stupid thing ever. "Oh, look Marshall. Glad to know that you are alive, dude" Amy laughed ironically, taking a sip from his glass of champagne.

Penny and Karen started to laugh, because it was obvious that Marshall was there to try to hit on Amy again. "How are you doing after so long girls?" he asked, trying to put her arms around Amy shoulders, be she took them off before he could do anything. "What do you want, Marshall? Don't you have to go and get drunk?" Karen joked in a sassy voice. "Glad to see you too, Cooper. But I'm here to talk with Carter. I found out that you that you are still single and you are totally hot. I'm single too and you know... We can try to do what we never did..." the drunken man suggested and Amy couldn't believe it. "Dude, you are the same idiot that you were ten years ago. Get out of here, come on" Amy demanded, trying to ignore the man at her side.

Amy tried to keep talking with the other two women who were with her, but Penny could just say that the dude was a bastard before Marshall interrupted them again. "Oh come on Amy!" he yelled, sounding like a little baby boy trying to take the attention from people. Even he made a couple of people turn to look what was happening. "I know that Tveit is here, but I don't think that he'll matter after all this years! I know that he's famous now, but you are not his girl anymore, sweetheart!" Marshall shouted, trying to put his arm now around her waist. "Aaron is here?" Amy asked looking at him dead in the eyes, and pushing his arm away from her body.

Suddenly it was like the air was dense and unbreathable and she wanted to run from there, but she needed to know if he was really there. "Yes, he arrived ten minutes ago. He is talking to his friends or something. That doesn't matter" Marshall smiled, like If wasn't big deal that Aaron was there. For Amy was like the end of the damn party. "Fuck" she murmured closing her eyes and leaving her glass in a table as she walked to the balcony.

Amy opened and closed the door and the fresh air hit her body. The view of the golf course and the rest of the park were beautiful, but in that moment she couldn't really enjoy it. Amy just wanted to get out of there, but if she was going to the cloakroom to take her coat he'll probably see her. That if he still hadn't seen her already. She was with her hands on the balcony railing when Amy heard the door behind her open and close, but she heard the sound of heels. "Amy, you are ok?" Karen asked in a whisper, with a soft voice. Amy was sure that they could see in her face that everything was wrong with her. "It's something about Aaron, right?" Penny questioned too. Maybe it was obvious, because he was her problem ten years ago, so why wouldn't he be her problem now? "He and I have too many things unsolved and I thought he was not coming tonight..." Amy explained, looking first at Penny, then at Karen and finally at the green park again.

Then she heard the door opening and closing behind them, but this time Amy hadn't heard woman heels and Penny murmured the only name that Amy didn't want to hear. She wished she had more alcohol in her body to be prepared for that moment.

Amy didn't turn back, even when she wanted to run away. But if she takes the decision of running probably wouldn't have done it, because her body was totally shaking and her legs were like stone. She kept looking at the trees, the lights from the field and the sky, but she was listening Penny and Karen talking with him. It was a short talk, he saying how amazing they were looking and congratulating for her pregnancy. He was charming as always, even when he asked the two women if they could give him a minute alone to talk with Amy.

When Amy heard the door closing for the last time she knew that they were alone and it was too late to run and hide from him and the world. When the sound of his footsteps approached, she shut her eyes to hold back the tears even for a few more minutes. "What are you doing here? I told you that I didn't..." she murmured without thinking. "Yes, you don't wanna see me, I know" Aaron interrupted her, finally standing beside Amy. "How did you found me?" she asked, again in a whisper. It was like if her voice wasn't working, just like her legs. "Ian is a really good little brother, but everybody has a price. But be happy and proud of the kiddo, it costs me a lot. Besides, I was also invited to the party. You know, if you don't remember we went to highschool together ..." Aaron responded, and Amy knew that he was trying to get her to put the walls down and get to talk with her. All that Amy could think was going to kill that little bastard of her brother as soon as she saw him. "What do you want, Aaron?" Amy breathed. The answer was obvious, but part of her wanted to hear it anyway. "All I want is to talk with you, even if I know you don't want to talk to me again" Aaron explained. Amy was sure that he was looking at her because she could feel his gaze on her.

Amy felt a shot of adrenalin hit her body. Perhaps was because she didn't wanted to hear what he was going to say, but without thinking she started to walk away from him. She heard him yelling at her to stop, but she kept walking until she felt a hand on her forearm. "Let me go" she cried once she was standing, with Aaron a step behind her. "No" he murmured, still with his hand on her arm, almost taking her wrist. Aaron wasn't grabbing her arm tightly, just holding it so she couldn't escape again. "Aaron I said let me go" she exclaimed, finally turning in her heels and looking at him in the eyes. His eyes were soft and loving as he gazed down into her eyes. That was the reason why she didn't wanted to look at him, the second she did it, Amy know she was lost. No matter what he was going to say, she was lost in that blue gaze and the warm hand in her arm. "And I say no. So we can be fighting like this all night or we can talk like two grown up people. It's your choice, Amy" Aaron added, in a really calm voice. Amy was surprised that he was so calm. He thought that if they would see again he would be mad after all calls and messages she never answered. "Fine, go ahead" she whispered, looking away from him.

When she said that Aaron finally let her go, but she wished he wouldn't take his hand out from her wrist. And when he did, Amy took a sit in one of the metal chairs that were there in the balcony. "Look, I screw it. I know, I did everything wrong. I promised you something, I didn't fulfill what I promised and I shouldn't have lied. So, yeah, I probably deserve everything that you put in me. But hey, it's over. I'm trying to do the things right and I'm really sorry, Amy" Aaron said in a kind of explanation.

Amy listen each of the words he said and damn she wanted to forgive him but it was hard. Even when Amy was sure that she was still in love with him. He was standing in front of her, but she was looking at the floor and her shoes, because a part of her still screamed her not to forgive him. And then was the other part which wanted to jump into his arms if she looked at those blue eyes again. It was an internal battle that Amy wanted to solve as soon as possible. "Sorry about what of all the things?" Amy asked sounding a little bitchy. It was bad counting the fact that he was there apologizing, but she couldn't help it. "Oh we are playing that game, right" Aaron smiled, knowing that she was still mad. In that moment Amy thought that Aaron's patience was made of iron or something like that. "I'm sorry about everything. For ruin what we had. For breaking every one of the promises I made you. For disappearing all these years and making you think that I didn't care about you. For letting us become almost two strangers. And specially for breaking your heart. I'm sorry for what I did to you Amy, but I'm sorry for what I did to us. I know we had everything and we could have had more" Aaron continued, but before doing so, he knelt in front of her to look into her eyes. "I wish I could go back and change everything. I broke your heart, but I want to fix it, I want to fix everything that we had. I want us to be something better than we were, but I can't do it alone. Give me a chance. Just one. I deserve it after all these years, don't I?" he asked smiling sadly.

Amy didn't say anything. She wanted to kiss him, really kiss him and forget everything, leave everything in the past. But it was something still in the back of her mind screaming that if Aaron had hurt her before, he could do it again for third time. And she knew that she couldn't handle to lose him, not again. Amy wanted to tell him that she wanted to forgive him more than anything in the world, but she couldn't talk. The words were stucked in her throat, even when Aaron got up and she thought he was going to leave. But for Amy's luck Aaron didn't leave, he just went to take another chair and he placed it in front of her to sit there. Amy was shaking and she didn't know if it was for the cold air or because she was scared to dead that Aaron would leave her there. "Ok, while you think if you are going to give me another chance or no I'm going to tell you a story" Aaron started looking at her.

He looked so calmed and handsome and Amy was ashamed that she was a mess of nerves and tears. And it would have been worse if she hadn't been wearing waterproof mascara and eyeliner. "You know that I spend two years trying to find you. I did it because I wanted to know how you were doing and if you were in Manhattan. In that moment I was single, but I wanted to know if you were happy, even with someone else. I knew that it was a chance that you will be married, maybe with kids. I just wanted to know if you were doing fine, but then I found you after a long time and someone give me this" he explained, taking his wallet of from his suit jacket.

Aaron looked inside and he found a little white card and Aaron showed it to Amy. In the other side was her name because it was one of the personal cards that she used for her job. She looked at it for a second and then he put it everything in its place again. "At first I thought that it was a joke, but then I realize that it wasn't, the girl from that card was you. When I saw you in the park that day I thought that it wasn't you, but I looked at those emerald green eyes and you were my Amy, even when you don't looked like her" Amy looked at him, eyes with tears and a tiny and silly smile on her face, making Aaron smile too, because it was obvious that he needed to say something about the way that she look. "It was everything fine until one day I realize that I was falling for you again. I push that thought out of my head until I couldn't fight it anymore and all the beach thing happened..." Aaron murmured looking at the floor.

Amy looked at him, with his hand on his knees, moving nervously one of his legs. It was like if he was nervous about saying the rights words to try to convince her to forgive him, forget everything and finally give him another chance. "It was supposed to be just one kiss. I told myself it would be just a kiss, after that I would know what and how I felt for you. I told myself that nothing would happen until everything was fixed in my life, but when I kissed you... You were all I could think about. It was you and just you and I loosed my mind. After all this time I just wanted you with me. I was so selfish that I acted without thinking about the consequences" Aaron explained, finally looking at Amy again, with a sad smile on his face and his eyes making him look like a lost, sad puppy. "And now what about..." Amy murmured, finally founding the voice to talk. Maybe it was because she couldn't stand to see him sad and she needed to do something to change that. "Totally over. I earned a slap in the face, but it was totally worth it if you can forgive me. If you want a short explanation I told her she is not you. And I explained that at first I thought it could be because the stupid quirk of seeing you and found you again, but it wasn't. I tell her that I laughed more in the time with you that in those months with her. And I thought that was probably falling in love with you again" he explained, as he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his hand and then put a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well, yes I think you deserved that slap, shame it was not me the one that slap you" Amy joked, taking his right hand with hers. "Yes, I know" Aaron murmured laughing, taking her free hand in his free one.

That was it: Amy looked at his eyes for one last time and with his warm hands on her right inside of her head, her heart and her body was over. All her walls fell at once and she knew that all that she wanted was to look at those blue perfect shining eyes and that smile for the rest of her life, even when she was scared as hell. "Aaron, I wanna forgive you. I really want to, but I swear to God that if you..." she threatened him, squeezing his hands enough to make clear that she was not joking about it. Not anymore. "Yes, if I break your heart again you are going to try to kill me. It's fine. I know you. It's not going to happen, not again" Aaron promised, releasing her right hand to stroking her cheek. Amy put her hand on his and closed her green eyes for a moment, trying to get used again to the feeling of his hand on her skin.

Suddenly Aaron took his hand off from her check, and get up from the chair. "Come here" he told her, making her stand too. They didn't went too far, just stayed looking at the illuminated field, but with Amy hugging him by the waist and Aaron's around her back. But before it he took of his suit jacket and places it around Amy's shoulders because she was still trembling, though less than before. "I think that a part of me was waiting that for you to come. If you hadn't come it would have been a waste of time" she murmured against his chest, looking up at him. "Don't tell me that because I'm already dying to kiss you. And if you say you've been waiting for me to come, you make me have more eager to kiss you, but I know you will probably kick my ass if I do it here" Aaron exclaimed, holding her more against him if that was possible and kissing her forehead. Amy could feel him smiling when he kisses her and she could swear that her heart was melting. "I'm not going to lie you, Tveit. I don't give a shit about this party, but you are the famous here and I'm sure that big parts of the people inside are looking at us. So yes, if you try to do something I'll kick your ass" she confessed shrugging and trying to not laugh. "You want to get out of here? I can drive you home if you want" Aaron offered, looking at her. "Please, can you do that for me?" Amy asked with a sweet smile. "Everything for you. Let's go" Aaron said, letting her go from his arms, but taking her hand as they went back inside of the party, but just to take her coat.


	35. Chapter 35

Twenty minutes after apologizing with Karen and Penny, promising them to explain everything and keeping in touch, Amy was standing in the front door of her old house with Aaron right behind her.

On the way back to Middletown they talked about what happened with Marshall before Aaron found her and he repeated over and over again that 'If she had told before he would had gone to teach that fucking idiot how to treat a girl', especially if it was _his girl_. Amy just laugh all the way and it wasn't the champagne, it was Aaron.

When they finally arrived to the Carter's house, they get out of the car, and if that was a silly romantic movie it would be the part when she asked him if he wanted to go in to grab a coffee. And that was exactly what Amy would do, but because she didn't wanted to let him go, not yet. "You wanna grab a coffee or something before you go??" Amy asked as she opened the door with her keys. Aaron looked at her like if she was totally crazy, and then Amy remembered that She never told him she was alone in the house. "Oh no. No family in the house. They are in Manhattan. Ian convinced them to go. And I'm talking about real coffee, you idiot" she exclaimed, hitting him in the chest when she saw the stupid smile that Aaron had in his face. "You are calling me idiot again. I can't say no to that" Aaron smiled, taking her hand against his chest and kissing it. Amy only shook her head and got inside the house, turning on just a small lamp that was closer to see the way to the kitchen.

Aaron closed the door and followed her and Amy turned on the kitchen light, before checking the refrigerator. "Man, ten years and this place looks the same" Aaron breathed, looking at the place around him. "Tell me about it" Amy responded.

The place was as it was when she left. Her parents changed a couple things like electronics and appliances, but not much more. They weren't a big fan of renovations. "Coffee or beer?" she asked again, looking at Aaron. After all the tears and drama she wasn't in mood for coffee, so beer seemed like a better idea. "You want to steal your father's beer and get me drunk? Bad girl" Aaron joked, trying to play the innocent boy, even when it was going well with him. Amy just murmured 'beer' knowing the answer and take two bottles from the fridge.

Aaron took of his jacket and Amy her shoes, both of them placing them on the side of kitchen isle, before taking seat in the high chairs one in front of the other. It was like the night of the failed wedding, but more calmed and quiet. And this time she didn't have to be thinking about controlling herself around Aaron. Even when they hadn't kissed yet, she knew that it was going to happen sooner or later that night and it would taste like beer. "This reminds me of our prom night" Aaron said, before taking a sip. "Really? Why? We didn't drink that night" Amy joked smiling and drinking her beer. "I don't know why. I guess it might be the black dress. It was a great night" he added and Amy could feel her cheeks becoming red and warm from the shame. "I can't believe you still remember that!" she exclaimed putting her forehead against the isle. With the alcohol in her body it wasn't a good moment to talk about that night.

In fact that was an amazing night that didn't end with the prom. That was the night of their first time and they were so young, but Amy still remembered it. She remembered specially how complicated it could be to have sex in a car. "Of course I remember it! You were the most beautiful girl in the prom. You were perfect" Aaron told her, taking one of her hands lacing his fingers with hers on the table. Just that little thing make the girl felt like she was home. It make her felt safe and happy and it was all she could asked for. "Well, I remember you didn't look that bad. Suits always looked good on you" she smiled, winking at him. "Did you ever told anyone about that night?" Amy asked again. "Not here. I would never done it. Years later I did, but don't worry, nobody knows it was you. What about you?" he asked back, looking at her. "No, I never told anyone. It was the most amazing night of my life, I rather to keep it for me" she murmured, looking at the garden through the windows.

Then she realized that it was the place when her parents told her why they send her to Columbia. That kitchen was where she found out about the lies and if she wanted to have something good with Aaron she needed to tell him that. Amy had enough with lies that put them apart back in time, so it was over. "Aaron I have to tell you something" Amy murmured, looking at her hands together in the table. "My parents lied to me. I made it into Ithaca" she murmured, before Aaron could asked what was wrong. "What?" he asked, squeezing her hand and his face changed. He went from happiness to horror in a second and Amy asked herself if that was the face she put when she found out everything. "That day the acceptance letter came along with the one from Columbia and they... They knew that if I saw I it, I would go with you to Ithaca or wherever you were, so they... They threw it away. I found out just weeks ago. Ian heard them and then I found out. They did it to send me away from you and I..." Amy finished to say in a whisper.

She didn't wanted to cry, not in that moment, not in front of him, but she couldn't resist it anymore. It wasn't like being with Ian at her side. Ian was the best brother ever, but she hated to keep crying in front of him. So when Amy wanted to cry and Ian was in her apartment, she was sure that Ian was taking a bath or sleeping. Now Amy finally had given up. She felt Aaron's warm arms around her body and she had given up. That night she had given up at being mad at him, she had given up at try to keep going without him and trying to hide that she was in love with him. She gave up about acting like if she didn't wanted to be with him, when all that she wanted was running into his arms and forget about everything and start over. Now she could finally do it and was with him again, all Amy wanted was to get lost in his warm and comforting arms.

The beers were forgotten in the table and Amy was crying again, but now hiding her face in his neck, with her arms around his waist like if her life was depending of it. "It's alright. It's alright, Am" Aaron murmured hugging her, one of his hands in her lower back and the other one in the back of her head. "You were right. I should have listened to you and do something. I'm sorry. I'm just... I didn't knew..." Amy cried, looking at him trying to apologize in some way. Aaron was right all the times he told they should had tried to do something. He was so right and it was her fault because she didn't listen to him. "Hey, princess, it wasn't your fault. We were just seventeen. We were kids. There was nothing we could do, Amy. And if there was something now it's late. But now we are together, so don't think about the past, it's over" Aaron explained trying to calm her down, placing their foreheads together hand his hands on both sides of her neck. He was trying in all the possible ways to calm her, but caring her cheeks with his thumbs looked like the simplest option in that moment. Amy felt so damaged but looking into his eyes and felt Aaron with her made the weight of her shoulders go away slowly.

Everything was in silence; the only thing she could hear was the sound of their breaths, hers faster than his. Amy wished that every time she felt sad she could spend all the time she wanted looking at him. "Hey" Amy whispered with a tiny smile, once she was calmed and the tears weren't falling anymore. "Hi..." Aaron answer in a whisper too. In that moment Amy realized how close they were. They were close, but not enough to their lips touched. "Amy, I..." Aaron tried to say, but this time she was the one to interrupt the other. "Aaron, can you just... Shut up and kiss me? Please?" Amy requested, biting her lower lip, just because she couldn't bit his lip. And to her luck, her petition was fulfilled in less than a second, feeling Aaron smiling against her pink lips.

xx

It was still early in the morning when Amy woke up. Aaron was still sleeping next to her, laying on his right side almost in the middle of the bed. She didn't knew what time it was when they finally got to sleep, but she probably slept just three or four hours.

When Amy looked at her side and saw him there sleeping peacefully she just smiled before sneaking out of bed, trying to not wake him up. Amy put her bare feet on the floor; she took Aaron's shirt, her underwear and put it on her naked body to cover her from the fresh morning. After that she walked and stood by the window.

She looked at the man in the bed one last time, with a happy smile on her face, before looking at the street. There was no cars and not a single person on the sidewalk or the street, just his car. Amy wished that all her mornings were like that one, or at least a little like that. She felt fine, happy and calm.

Didn't really know how much time she was stood there with her arms crossed on her chest, her head against the wall and the small smile in her face as she saw how the sky was getting clearer. Amy didn't care about time until she heard a small noise coming from the bed behind her.

"Am?" she heard Aaron asking with his totally sleepy voice. She wanted to go and jump to the bed and cover him with kisses, but she just stayed there looking at the street trying to play it cool. "Yes?" she asked back with a normal voice, sounding as if nothing was happening. "What are you doing there? What time is it?" he said, and she could hear him hiding his face like a school boy that doesn't want to go to class in the morning. "Just looking the street. And it's too early for a Sunday. Go back to sleep" she murmured, thinking that maybe he was going to fall asleep anytime soon.

Her plan wasn't waking him up early, she just wanted to stay there a little bit and then sneaking back into bed and snuggled with him. Then she'll wake him up, make some breakfast and then who knows. Amy just wanted a normal and simple morning with her guy. And she was happy that she finally can call him hers. "What are you doing awake so early? Come back to bed, come on" he murmured in a too-much-sexy-sleepy-deep voice that made Amy finally turn around to look at him.

When she saw him lying on his back, his tired eyes slightly open, his hands behind his head, half of his body covered with a sheet. He was perfect and that perfect man was waiting for her to take her into his arms again. It was more than what she thought that she deserved, but Amy was absolutely happy. "My brain watch is bad programmed, I get up at this time even if I don't want to" she explained walking and climbing into bed.

She moved above him, kissing all the way up, from his abs, chest, shoulders, and neck until Amy reached Aaron's jaw and mouth. She could feel his arms moving in her sides under the shirt making her shivered under his touch, making the girl smile against Aaron's lips. "That damn job" he protested, pressing her against his body with his arms and making her giggled like a little girl.

They stay there, his arms in her waist, Amy face hiding in his neck and Aaron kissing her shoulder. It was probably the best morning that Amy had in the last years of her life. It was all so simple, peaceful and quiet. Amy could feel Aaron's fingers tracing forms on her back and it tickled, but she was too lazy, tired and happy to say something. She just gave him a slow little kiss on the neck. "Amy?" Aaron asked, still kissing her shoulder and neck. "Mhm?" Amy asked settling, leaning his forearms on the pillow to look better at Aaron. "This is not a dream, isn't it? Are we fine?" Aaron murmured, hugging Amy a little more tightly and protectively.

Amy could see and feel it in his voice, in his eyes and in the little frown on his forehead and eyebrows that Aaron was scared about her leaving or regretting what happened that night. His entire body was tense and telling Amy how he felt, she knew the way to make forget about those things. "No, this is not a dream, silly boy. And yes, we are fine. We are finally good" Amy told him, putting her hands on his cheeks and kissing his lips just once, but as sweet, loving and slow as she could. It wasn't just to kiss Aaron; it was her way to make him know that they were fine and that they would be fine. Aaron curved one of his hands around her neck, deepening the kiss ever so slowly. She was hundred percent sure of it. They would make it work. "So if I fall asleep again you will be here when I wake ?" Aaron tried to ask as they break the kiss, but Amy kept kissing him all over his face. At least she could feel him relaxing under her own body. "Right here. Probably sleeping or watching you sleep" she giggled, holding her palm against his face, caressing his cheekbones with her fingers. "You are a little freak!" Aaron exclaimed, trying to tickle her, but she start to fight with him- in comparison with her- small hands and arms. "It's not my fault that you are a handsome devil" Amy yelled laughing, taking Aaron hands and putting them in the bed, above his head. She knew that Aaron wasn't fighting too much, but it was funny anyway. Or maybe it was the fact that she was happy to be there.

Amy looked at him and his cheeks were blushing, and just that silly thing made her smile like a little girl with a new doll. "What happened?" Aaron asked when he looked at her smiling wrinkling her nose and eyes. "Nothing..." she said, playing fool, trying not to laugh more and putting aside to lay next to him. "Amy, what happened?" he asked again, with his eyes searching hers. "Nothing, it's just... Your cheeks..." she answered, hiding part of her face on the pillow, because what she was saying was totally stupid and cheesy. "Your cheeks are still getting red when I say that you're cute or something. It's like when we were kids. It's cute" Amy mumbled, caring his hair and then his left cheek. "You still think it's cute after all these years? I'm not 16 anymore!" Aaron exclaimed, taking her in his arms to hug her.

Amy just put her face against shoulder and his chest, and her right hand on his chest over his heart. She could feel his heart beating beneath the palm of her hand and close her eyes to concentrate on smell his scent. No one else smelled as quite as amazing as Aaron did. It wasn't body wash or cologne as the night before. Aaron just smelled naturally divine, even mixed with the smell of clean sheets of her bed. "I know, but some things never change. We are older, but you still kind of look like a 16 years old version of yourself. You have the same smile, the same glow in those blue eyes. You are the same Aaron but older, more grown. And you sing better now though you sang good already. But I'm definitely still crazy for you, that's for sure" Amy explained, turning up her head a little bit to look at him. "And you missy, when we were 17 you were the most beautiful girl in the world and now you are the most beautiful woman in the world, I hope you know that" Aaron murmured, kissing first the tip of her nose and the her lips. "Oh, you are so cheesy, I love it" Amy added, kissing him back.

The brunette girl put her cheek against Aaron shoulder again and at times she moved a little bit, just enough to kiss the skin in his bare warm chest. The decision they had taken the night before of go to Amy's room and not stay on the couch in the living room was definitely good. Although if it was for her, Amy wouldn't had any problem spending the night with him on the kitchen floor.

She even knew that in some point Aaron asked if she was sure about what they were about to do, but Amy remembered that she answered him that he shouldn't ask stupid questions and kept undressing her. And that wasn't the alcohol talking. "Hey, you know that if someone sees your car in my street people will start talking lots of things? You know, everybody knows who we are, especially you" Amy murmured, thinking that they should had at least kept the car in the garage and not on the street. She didn't thought about it that night and maybe someone recognized the car. "And? What they are going to say? They are going to talk and tell my parents that I spend the night with you here? I think they already know by this time..." Aaron laughed, because yes, he was right but Amy always thought about everything too much. "You really don't care?" she asked again, looking at him worried. The problem there it wasn't her. She was worried about him and if that could affect his life because Aaron was the famous one. "No, I don't. All I care right now is you" the blue eyed guy answered, smiling at Amy and making her worries disappear like magic.

She needed to let go the bad thoughts at least for that morning. It was too early to think about so many things. It was stupid especially when all she had to do was enjoy being with the most amazing man in the world, the one there, lying in bed with her holding her protectively in his strong arms, as their legs were intertwined between the sheets. That was way better that the morning after the beach for thousands of reasons that Amy didn't wanted to remember at all. "Hey, you wanna spend the day with me at my parents' house?" Aaron suddenly asked, making her look at him in surprise. Amy wasn't expecting that question at all. "You sure?" Amy asked before saying yes to his proposition. She really wanted to spend the day with him, but not bothering in his house. "Yes! They know everything about what happened. They will love to see you after all this time. Then we can go back to Manhattan together if you don't have another plan, of course" Aaron added, with a perfect and convincing a cocky smile, stroking her shoulder gently with his long fingers. "No, I don't have plans so yeah, I like the idea" Amy agree biting her lip trying really hard to not smile, before he turn around to be on the top of Amy supporting his body with his arms not to crush her, because they were going to spend the day in his parents' house, but the morning wasn't over. At least not yet.


	36. Chapter 36

It was almost night when Amy was leaning at the car's door, looking at her old house. Now it was just her parent's house. Thinking about all the things that happened was totally stupid, but she couldn't forget or forgive what her parents have done to her. It still hurt her, even when things with Aaron were finally alright, even when Ian was going to Manhattan to study Drama. That what the reason why she was leaving the house with Aaron on Sunday, before the rest of the Carter family came back.

"Is everything ok?" Aaron asked loudly, loud enough for her to hear him while he placed Amy things in the trunk of the car. "Yes. Don't worry. I'm just... Looking at this house for one last time. Now that Ian is moving to Manhattan with me I don't have any reason to come back to this place" she answered with a smile, looking at the back of the car and back to the house in front of them. "Are you talking about your house or the town?" Aaron asked again, closing the trunk door and making Amy smile. "No, just about this house. If you want me to come with you to see your parents or something I can do it for you" she smiled, crossing her arms on her chest.

Now that Ian was going to move the only reason to go back there once in awhile was Aaron. "Oh, really? You would do it for me?" Aaron asked in a serious and playful tone, walking towards her. "Of course!" she exclaimed, getting inside the car before he could reach her.

After the class reunion, after spending the night and morning and almost all day in his parent's house they talked and talked until everything was forgiven. They said to each other all the things that they needed to. That was the best thing to do and it worked perfectly. They were fine and happy to be together. "Aaron, you think that we can spend a week or a few days somewhere?" she asked suddenly, calling his attention as he was closing the driver's door. "Somewhere like what?" Aaron asked, looking at her with a small smile on his face. She could tell he was happy of hearing Amy saying that. "I don't know... I don't wanna go to Manhattan and the normal life yet. I want some extra days with you. Just you and me. What do you think? Can we do it?" she asked again, giving him her best puppy eyes to convince him. "If you are going to ask me that with those green puppy eyes there is no way that I say no, but what about your job?" Aaron added taking her left hand and giving her a kiss in the back of it.

Aaron was right, she had to go back to her job, but in that moment she doesn't care at all. "I can call and say that I have family problems here. I can make up a lie, don't worry about it" Amy explained caring his face and right cheek with her free hand. "Would you really do that for me, you know, taking a week?" she continued, looking at him and biting her own bottom lip. She could keep looking at his perfect factions for the rest of her life. "I will go to the end of the world with you, Am" Aaron murmured, putting his hands on her cheeks and kissing her sweetly a couple times. Seconds later they pull apart and leaved their foreheads together, looking at each other eyes. "Let's do this: We'll go to Manhattan and we think were to go in the time that we have to get home. If we are going somewhere we have to get some clothes anyway" Aaron murmured and then kissed her once more, kiss that Amy replied happily. "And now who is the smartest in this conversation, babe?" she joked, making Aaron laugh. "You, missy. You are the smartest one. Now let's get out of this place" he laughed, his eyes shining with excitement and adoration for the girl beside him.

Both buckled their seat belts, Aaron started the car and began to drive the car leaving the town behind, with his right hand and her left hand together on the gear shift. That was the way that they should have leaved the town ten years ago. They should've done it together, but at least they were doing it now, didn't matter it was so many years later. At least now they were finally happy and together, and even though she was sure that she would go back to Middletown someday, Amy was also sure that she would never look back to the past. Not anymore.


	37. Epilogue.-

Amy closed the hotel room door behind them and she went right to let herself fall on the queen size bed while Aaron was on the bathroom. In the second that her back touch the comfortable bed, she took off her shoes, letting them fall on the floor. "I can't believe we actually did it" she said to herself, closing her eyes and biting her lip. "What are you talking about, sweetheart?" Aaron asked, leaning against the doorframe with the smuggest grin ever. "Are you serious, babe? Why don't you look at your hand, sweetheart?" she told him, getting up with her arms and sitting on the bed, trying not to smile like an idiot. "Oh, this one?" Aaron asked again, rising up his left hand so Amy could see it. "Don't act like an idiot!" she yelled, finally getting up from the damn bed and walking towards Aaron. "Why? Because you can't walk away from this now? Because technically you can in a couple hours if you want!" he joke, walking and meeting her in the halfway.

When they met in the middle of the room she practically jump in his arms, hugging Aaron by the waist as tight as are arms let her. He was an idiot, but he was her idiot and Amy couldn't be happier. "You are a bastard. But I love you" she murmured, putting on her tiptoes to kiss Aaron. He replied the kiss happily; picking up the girl by the waist, making her put her legs around his waist and her arms around her neck. "And I can't believe that I'm your damn wife. We get married in Vegas. We spend less than two hundred bucks in a fucking wedding! Oh god! This is totally insane!" she laughed against his neck and Amy could hear Aaron laughing with her. "You are my husband. We are in Vegas. And we got married in freaking Vegas!" she squealed of joy, with her hands in both sides of Aaron face.

The fact was that for their first anniversary Aaron suddenly get down in one knee with a Cartier red box and a beautiful diamond ring in his hand and his eyes shining in a way she'd never seen. After the most sweet and loving speech he asked Amy if she wanted to be his wife and in the middle of her kitchen she just said yes, crying like a little girl. Before all the propose thing, with the little time they had, they planned a short week trip to Vegas to celebrate their anniversary.

They hadn't planned anything about the wedding, they were just joking in the windows of Cartier in the middle of the Venetian when Aaron told her to go inside to see wedding bands, because he wanted to get married with Amy there in Las Vegas. Amy thought that it was a joke, but it wasn't at all. After ten minutes Aaron convinced her to do it with a big speech of "You are not going to tell me now that you want a big wedding with two hundred people, don't you?", and fuck he was right. She just wanted something small with at least fifty guests, and they could do that when they get back to New York.

So after ten minutes Amy said yes, but with the condition that she would pay for the wedding bands. Because she was the one who loved Cartier, because Aaron already paid a lot for her engagement ring and because tons of other reasons that she was saying really fast until Aaron kissed her to shut her up.

And finally two hours later they were married and back in the hotel room. "At least it wasn't Elvis the one who married us" Aaron exclaimed, putting her down and letting her stay on her feet again. "Oh, you would love to say that Elvis married us here, didn't you?" she asked, closing a little her eyes and punching playfully Aaron's chest a couple times, before finally placing her hands there. "No, I love to say that now you are my beautiful and amazing wife" he said taking Amy in his arms, pulling her closer, and his forehead leaning against her. "Damn, you are so perfect" Aaron murmured against her lips, looking at his -now- wife before kissing her.

Aaron kissed her like if there wasn't tomorrow. He had been waiting to kiss his girl the entire night, but he was waiting to have Amy all to himself in their hotel room. His lips were so soft and urgent on hers, but gentle and sweet at the same time, her tongue probing its way into his mouth. They were always having that silly fight over who was going to dominate who at the time, but Amy knew too much tricks on how to kiss him to drive Aaron crazy, impatient and wanting more. He still tasted like alcohol, and for Amy that was the best way she could imagine to taste champagne.

One of Aaron's hands was on her neck, caressing her cheek, while the other was around her waist to hold Amy as close to his body as possible. She could feel the beating of his heart under her hands while their lips were still moving together totally in sync. "Let me tell you something" Amy said, pulling back and kissing him one last time before continued. "Marrying you here was the crazier and the best thing that I have done in my life. And you don't have any idea of how happy you make me every single day. Really" she murmured against his lips.

Amy looked at his eyes were shining of love, passion and lust. It was like if Aaron's body were screaming that he loved her. She could imagine her body was equal to her husband's. "And finding you and asking you to marry me were the best things that I had done and the best decisions I made in my life. And thank you for saying yes, by the way" Aaron agreed, shrugging and then kissing her on the forehead. "My pleasure, hubs. Oh, now I can call you hubs and those silly and cheesy names!" she joked, walking away from him just a couple steps purposely, moving her hips suggestively. "Oh, shut up and come here!" Aaron exclaimed, walking to her and taking her by the wrist again. "I love you, princess, really much" he told her, wrapping his strong arms around her lower back to pull her into his chest as he started to kiss her neck. Amy totally knew that it was the payback for the previous kiss, but she didn't mind at all because Aaron was doing an amazing job kissing and biting lightly the weak spot on her neck.

Amy started to think on what she was going to say before he started with the sweet torture, but she totally lost the train of thought. She regained it when she felt Aaron's hands on her back, slowly approaching the top where the zipper dress was. "Hey, I love you too, but wait. You think that we should throw a small party or something back in New York?" she asked, biting her lips trying to hold back a moan that was about to escape her throat, because she needed to keep talking. "We have to tell your parents and Jon and Ian. And I have to call Sarah and..." she murmured until she couldn't keep going anymore. Everything that she could say was stupid if Aaron was kissing her in the way that he was. "We'll see. We have four more days here. And I guess that your parents are going to be happy as hell knowing that now I'm officially their son-in-law! God bless America and Las Vegas, baby!" Aaron joked and they start to laugh like to idiots in love.

They were now married and still no one knew anything. Not his family, not Ian. They were so into each other and so happy that they didn't think about grabbing their phones and said 'Hey, we just get married. We tell you the rest tomorrow or when we get back to New York'. Amy didn't even know how the hell she was going to tell her parents.

In the last year things changed a lot. Amy, Aaron and Ian were like a little small happy family. They were the family that Amy always wanted and more, and Ian and Aaron were like good buddies. Aaron was always giving the younger Carter advices and even Ian helped the actor to choose Amy's engage ring. After Ian moved to Manhattan, Amy left her apartment to her brother, so he was near the college after all that the smart boy had made it into the Tisch School of Arts. He was really good at acting, but Amy thought that maybe having a recommendation letter written by a Broadway actor helped a little bit. Then she moved into a new apartment with Aaron in Astoria. Everything happened after Mr. and Mrs. Carter said that they were going to pay for Ian's college and other things, and Aaron insisted that the young guy needed his own place. It was just to try to convince her to move together and Amy knew it.

But things between Amy and her parents never went back to be quite right. They practically only spoke by phone when it came to Ian. She told them that she had engaged to Aaron and nothing more, but she supposed that at some point she would have to tell them that now she was married. "They are going to try to kick my ass, that's for sure. Maybe try to tie me to a chair and to convince me to divorce you" Amy joked, trying to sound dramatic, despite being laughing. "I'm going to protect you, don't worry. Now it's officially and almost legally my job" Aaron responded, trying to kiss her again, but she stopped him with placing a finger on his lips. "Yeah, that's funny, but really, we should throw a party or what?" Amy asked again, now being seriously. She really wanted to do something small to celebrate with the people that they really loved. "Baby, I'm telling you, we have time, let's not think about it now. I have a lot of better plans for tonight" Aaron answered, putting a lock of hair behind her ear and then his hands in her cheeks. And with that he was trying to tell her that she needed to slow down and stop thinking so much. "Oh you have? What kind of plans?" she replied, with an innocent voice as she was pushing off the edge of the shirt from his black dress pants. After that, Amy had forgotten about the party thing while she undid one by one the buttons of his white shirt and letting her fingers on the edge of the waistband of his pants. "Don't worry. First I'll take your dress off and then I'll tell you and show you whatever you want" Aaron murmured, looking at her eyes as he slowly was unzipping her dress.

She wasn't wearing that dress when they bought the rings, but she said that before go to get married they were going to their room to change their clothes, because 'She wasn't going to marry a guy who wasn't wearing a damn suit in their wedding'. And she doesn't know why, but she had packed a white short sleeveless Ralph Lauren dress that she never thought that it was going to be her wedding dress. And that in that moment was about to be forgotten in the carpeted floor. "Definitely I'm not regretting marrying you, Mr. Tveit" Amy replied taking a step backwards, watching her dress falling off her body to the floor, leaving her standing just with her expensive white lace lingerie set . She looked at herself and then at Aaron with a small smile in the face. He was looking at Amy like if she was a dam about to be eaten by a lion, perhaps because she was wearing his favorite set and he just found out. "Thanks God, Mrs. Tveit" Aaron breathed looking at her body, then at her eyes. And with that look that he gave her she knew that Amy was in a lot a trouble, but she wanted him more than anything in the world so she was happy about it.

Aaron looked at her just five seconds more before he took her by the waist to make her place her legs around his waist, walking with her towards the bed as Amy giggling against his face, because the girl couldn't imagine a better way to start their marriage. She couldn't be happier about start her new life in that way with the love of her life, even if it was years later than it should have been. But knowing that she would spend the rest of her life like that, next to the most perfect man in the world, waiting ten years didn't seem much. And if she had knew ten years before that she was finally going to spend the rest of her life with him, Amy knew she would had waited ten more years to finally by his side.


End file.
